


Not-So-Little Mermaid

by Whymsical



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Black Markets, Fantasy, M/M, Mermaids, Mertalia, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Original Character(s), Romance, background PruCan, just one really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-28 07:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 127,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6321025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whymsical/pseuds/Whymsical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur Kirkland is head of a publishing house and has a very normal, boring life. That is, until one of his acquaintances drags him off to the Black Market and Arthur meets a creature who he didn't even know existed. And that creature is for sale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-upload of the story. I don't want the other person's name on it because just no. Everything should be the same though!

Ivan showed his pass to the burly man at the door and was waved through. "Come along." He looked back at the Brit behind him and took his arm, dragging him forward. They stepped into an elevator and then were shooting up to the penthouse floor of the building. As the doors opened, Ivan spread his arms wide. "Welcome to the Black Market."

Arthur looked around tentatively, taking in the stares he was getting with a nervous trepidation. Just because he was curious, it didn't mean he was willing to be caught by the police- but he was more worried about the other people at the market. "You said these guys are alright, right?" he quietly asked, shuffling behind Ivan.

Ivan chuckled. " _Da_. But perhaps it would be better for you to not leave my side."

"A-Ah... Right. Of course." Arthur stole another quick look around the room and then stopped, focusing on Ivan's back instead- these guys could probably smell fear. And if they did they might kill him or harvest his organs or- something.

The Russian man laughed some more. "Scared, Kirkland? Don't worry, they will not touch you. They see you are with me. Is there anything that interests you?"

"I'm not  _scared_!" Arthur replied indignantly, straightening up and looking around again to prove it. A second later, something caught his eye and he frowned slightly. "...What's in that tank over there?"

"Hmm?" Ivan looked over in the indicated direction. "I don't know. Something new?" He started off towards it.

Arthur followed behind, emerging from the small crowd surrounding the tank to blink up at the creature drifting listlessly within. It was... Well, it was what appeared to be a mermaid - the body of a human, the blue tail of a fish - but that couldn't be real, could it? It certainly seemed to be. It was quite pretty, he supposed - or rather, he was quite pretty - and Arthur tipped his head a little as he thought this, silently regarding the creature with some curiosity.

Alfred had his eyes closed, tail flicking every so often so he gave off some sign of life. If they thought he was dead, well. He didn't want to think about what would happen then. He was sick of all the greedy stares directed at him since that morning. He just wanted to go home.

Then, he felt a different stare on him. He didn't know how he knew it was different, he could just tell. His head shot up slightly and looked around, gaze soon falling on a green-eyed man off to the side.

Arthur blinked when their eyes met, his breath catching for a moment, unable to look away.

Alfred's head tilted slightly to the side and he swam over a bit, resting his hands on the glass and looking at this human. He seemed different, too. Less malicious.  _I wouldn't mind him getting me..._  he thought, giving the man a very slight hopeful smile.

Then the loudspeaker crackled to life overhead. "Attention, the bidding for item 050 will now commence. Please make your way over to the tank in the center of the room if you are interested."

A wire loop was lowered into the tank and hooked around Alfred's tail, yanking him up so he hung upside down near the top of the tank. The mermaid thrashed around and cried, but there was nothing he could do so after a few moments he gave up and hung there listlessly.

Ivan turned to Arthur. "Shall we leave? It'll probably go for millions."

"...This is auction based, right?" Arthur asked, his eyes still not leaving Alfred, though he frowned slightly at his treatment- it was just horrible to treat any creature so badly, let alone one that seemed so...human.

" _Da_. It'll go to the highest bidder." Ivan glanced down at him in surprise. "You are interested? It is...rare for someone to purchase on their first visit."

"Well I'm a rich man," Arthur murmured, slowly approaching the tank, ignoring the bids from around him. When he reached it, he placed his hand on the glass, staring up at the mermaid - for it was definitely a mermaid - for a while. "...Five million," he called out suddenly, silencing the room.

The auctioneer paused before turning to him with a smile. "Wonderful! Do we have any other bids? Come on, folks, this is a real mermaid! Perhaps the only one in existence!"

"Five million one thousand!" someone called from the back.

"Five million three thousand," Arthur said quickly, determined to get Alfred. He was rich enough, he told himself, and his money had to go somewhere. And God knows what anyone else here would do with the poor creature.

There were murmurs from the back of the room, but no other calls. "That's it?" The auctioneer looked around. "Going once!"

Arthur finally tore his eyes away from Alfred to look at the auctioneer, biting his lip as he waited.

"Going twice!" Still silence. "Going three times, and sold! For five million three thousand to the gentleman with the large eyebrows. Please come up once the area clears, sir."

Arthur looked around frowning for a moment, searching furiously for the man who had out-bid him, before he realized that everybody else was leaving him as the only one by the tank, and he blinked and headed over to the auctioneer.

"Congratulations on your buy," the auctioneer told him cheerfully. "I'll need your name, address for shipping, and the amount in cash please."

"Uhh, Arthur Kirkland, W. 72nd Street, New York. I only have a few thousand on me, can I come back later with the rest?"

"You'll need to come back by the end of the day. The truck to ship it in is only here for tonight."

Arthur nodded. "I'll be back."

Two hours later, ten minutes before the end of the day, Arthur was handing over the rest of the money and shoving his empty wallet back in his pocket. "So how is this going to work, then?" he asked.

"There's a truck waiting outside with a smaller tank to transport it." The auctioneer jabbed a thumb at where the mermaid was laying on the floor of the larger tank without moving. "You can either meet it there or go along for the ride. If you do go along, you'd have to stay in the back."

Craning his neck to look, Arthur nodded. "I may as well go along," he said. "Is- Ah, is he all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine." The auctioneer shrugged. "The truck's waiting downstairs if you want to go down. It'll be down in the transport tank in a few minutes."

"All right," Arthur agreed, before heading down the stairs to the truck.

Alfred's head snapped up as all the water suddenly started draining from the tank. He wasn't sure exactly who'd bought him as he'd closed his eyes, but he hoped he wouldn't get hurt too much. Then a small lift, like one used for dolphins and seals, lowered into the remaining water and scooped him up before dumping him into a much smaller tank- he barely fit into it, and he had to curl his tail up uncomfortably so it wouldn't get clipped when the cover was snapped on.

He panicked a bit, not liking the confined walls, but then forced himself to stay still and closed his eyes so he could get at least some escape. He felt himself going down, down, then across and back up a bit. Then it was darker.

Looking up as the mermaid was brought, Arthur's eyes widened slightly at the size of the tank he was in, and he jumped into the truck behind it. He felt the engine rumble, and he sat as they moved for a moment, before deciding to try and talk to the mermaid. "...I'm sorry about all this," he said, referring to the terrible transportation. Then he chuckled. "I don't even know if you can understand me... Or even hear me, through all that water," he muttered to himself, shaking his head at the thought that he was quite likely talking to himself.

Alfred heard the quiet vibrations from the voice, but he didn't respond to it. In fact, he just curled up tighter.

Watching for a few moments, Arthur sighed and shook his head again, sitting at the edge to wait for the truck to get to his house.

After a few moments, Alfred did peek at him. So it was the nice-looking human from before. But the merman didn't allow his hopes to rise too high- now that he had him, the human might turn out to be mean.

Arthur glanced over and shifted slightly when he realized the other was looking, and he gave him a small smile.

Alfred immediately looked away and turned so that his back was to the man. No matter how nice-looking he was or how scared he'd seemed before, there was no telling what he would do now. There was no trusting him.

Arthur blinked at the other, but then shrugged. Ah, well, it was understandable... Still, he let his gaze drop to the floor.

There were only a few more minutes until the journey came to an end, and Arthur jumped out to help unload the mermaid's tank.

"Oh you don't have to do that, sir," one of the workers told him. "Which floor is it?"

"Uh, top," Arthur answered.

"Penthouse, eh? All right, boys, let's get this thing to its new home. Will you lead the way, Mr. Kirkland?"

Arthur nodded and headed to the elevator, leading the men to his apartment.

"Do you have a saltwater pool for it? Otherwise it'll have to stay in this tank."

"Oh, really?" Arthur shifted slightly, glancing at Alfred. "I'm sure I can get it converted."

"Tank it is. Where do you want us to set it down?"

"The pool room should be fine. Can he come out at all?"

The man shrugged. "That's up to you. You're its new owner." He and his companions hefted the tank up and placed it in the corner of the pool room. "But it should be fine as long as there's salt water."

"So he's able to live outside?" Arthur asked.

"Why shouldn't it be? It was caught a few days ago, was fine then and is fine now."

"All right... That should be okay then."

"Right, well that's that, so we'll be off. Oh, do you want the tank covered or uncovered?"

"Ah, uncovered, if that's all right."

The men took the cover off and then left.

After nodding his thanks, Arthur turned to look at the creature in the tank.

Alfred had jerked when his tank had started to get lifted up, and he watched the proceedings through half-lidded eyes. When the top was removed he stretched his tail out, but did nothing else.

"Uh... hey there," Arthur tried, shifting slightly closer.

There was no reply.

After biting his lip slightly, Arthur gave an awkward cough. "Can you hear me...?"

Still nothing.

"I guess not..." Arthur sighed and tilted his head, continuing in a murmur. "Maybe I should get some food or something... What would a mermaid like?" They lived in the sea, right? So fish? Arthur moved into the kitchen to search for something for the other, noting him tensing as he returned. He moved slowly towards the mermaid, holding the plate up. "I got some food. I didn't know if you wanted fish."

Alfred's ears perked up at the word 'fish' and the scent of the food, but he still didn't dare turn around.

"...Do you want it?" the Brit asked, holding the plate higher.

At the tone Alfred did hesitantly turn, his pupils dilating and darkening as they zeroed in on the food.

"Ah..." Arthur offered a tiny smile as he showed the other the plate. "I'll put it down here for you."

Alfred's eyes never left the food.

Placing the plate on the floor, Arthur looked up at the mermaid expectantly, but then realized that he wasn't going to come out and sighed. He had work to get to anyway... After one more look at the plate and at the creature's expression, he decided to leave it there and left the room.

The merman waited for a good time after the human had left before uncurling. His fingers grasped the edge of the tank delicately and he heaved his upper half over the edge in an attempt to get to the plate of food. It was just out of reach. Alfred's fingers curled back into his hand and he slid back. He wanted to cry. Was this some sort of cruel joke? He had two options: either not eat or get out of the tank to reach the fish. But if he hauled himself out, he'd have no way of getting back into it, and he didn't want to be on the floor when the human returned. So he curled back up in the corner of the tank and waited.

After a few hours at his desk, Arthur grew tired of rubbing his eyes against the harsh light of the screen and instead stood to wander about his penthouse. He quickly got to the pool room and moved towards the tank in the corner, though he slowed down as he approached, frowning slightly at the fish still on the floor. Why hadn't the creature eaten it? He'd definitely seemed to have wanted it.

Alfred threw a glance over his shoulder when he felt the vibrations from the door opening and the human's footsteps, though he quickly resumed his curled-up position.

"You didn't like it?" Arthur asked, looking up at the merman's back.

Once more, there was no response.

"I guess not..." Arthur sighed and looked down at the fish, then picked it up to take back. He couldn't really force anything onto the mermaid; he might frighten the poor creature.

Alfred swirled around in the tank in distress, at one point gazing at Arthur with wide, reproachful eyes, before curling up again.

Arthur's own eyes widened at that, and he sputtered a bit. "W-Well then you should have taken it when I was gone!" he said indignantly, mostly to himself, before he huffed gently and left.

Alfred saddened at the words. He couldn't have taken it! He changed his mind then. This human was so cruel... First he taunted Alfred with the massive pool just a few steps away from the tank, and now he was also being mean with food.

Things were much the same over the course of the next couple of days- Arthur would try and look after the mermaid, leaving him food that would never be eaten and plates that stayed full long after he left the creature to himself. He frowned terribly on the fourth day he visited the creature like this- surely he had to eat something?! He looked like he did...

By that point, Alfred barely had the strength to even twist around and stare sadly at the food. He simply lay in as tight a ball as he could manage at the bottom of the tank. And his water was getting dirty and old as well, so he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Another few days until he fainted and lost weight. Maybe two weeks tops until he died.

"Christ, you've got to eat... Don't you like fish?" Arthur looked down at the food before stooping to pick it up, moving toward the tank. He then brought it closer, trying to see if the other wanted it. "Even if you don't like it, you have to eat something..."

Alfred's ears and nose twitched when the scent of the food got stronger and he stared at the plate with ravenous eyes. Was it a trick though?

Brows furrowing further as he got closer- the creature really did look in a terrible state and the water was, quite frankly, getting rather putrid- Arthur then heaved a decisive sigh. "...No, this I getting ridiculous. Come on, you're eating," he said, holding the plate up.

Alfred reached out hesitantly for the food, his hand stopping right before it reached the plate. He still didn't trust it completely.

"Go on then," Arthur encouraged. "You have to eat  _something_ , come on- it's not going to hurt you... Jesus, I'll even chuck it in if you really won't eat."

Flinching back at the tone, Alfred quickly grabbed the whole plate and retreated to the corner of the tank. He still held the platter in his hands above the water and devoured the fish in seconds.

Arthur blinked at the other's speed, but then smiled slightly to himself, glad that he had eaten. "That's good..."

Alfred hissed at the human, showing his now pointed teeth. The food had made him bold. He hugged the platter protectively to his chest.

"Ah-!" Arthur jumped very slightly, his eyes widening. Had he done something wrong? Or maybe this creature wasn't actually as friendly as it had seemed to be? It would be understandable if it wasn't friendly, but still, he watched the mermaid nervously.

After a moment, Alfred relaxed though, and instead he looked mournfully down at the empty platter.

Arthur frowned a little, inspecting the other. "What? I'm going to need that back, you know..."

Alfred's eyes widened with panic and he clutched the platter more tightly.

"Okay, okay, you can keep it," Arthur said quickly. "It's only a plate, after all."

Nodding, Alfred slowly relaxed. He traced his fingers over the surface of it, taking in the design and wishing there was some more food.

Arthur let out a small sigh. "Really... How much are you even supposed to eat?" he murmured.

But by that time Alfred had drawn in on himself again, curling around the platter at the bottom of the tank.

"All right..." After a few moments of watching, Arthur nodded slightly and moved away, wandering around the room and sorting things out. At least the poor creature had eaten, and the pool was being drained tomorrow...

Alfred watched him from between his fingers, some curiosity overcoming his distrust.

As Arthur re-packed the cupboard with stuff, he found himself wishing the creature didn't distance himself so- it wasn't everyday one got to meet a merman, after all. And besides... It seemed sad. Arthur didn't like that. He shook the thoughts from his head and finished the cupboard off, picking up the empty chlorine container and throwing it in the bin.

The noise startled Alfred, and the merman jerked. Some water splashed out of the tank and he dropped the plate. It sank to the bottom and landed with a loud, glassy thump.

Arthur immediately looked up, his eyes widening slightly, and moved towards the merman. "Hey, are you all right?" he asked, worried.

Alfred stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Wh-What? What is it?"

The merman simply continued staring.

"I- What do you want? Are you scared?" Arthur moved forwards, gently placing his palm on the glass of the tank.

Alfred immediately moved back, his back colliding with the glass.

Arthur blinked and snapped his hand back, looking guilty. He took a few steps back, until he was a good distance away from the tank. "A-Ah, sorry..."

Sorry? The human was sorry? Sorry wasn't a cruel word. Bad people didn't say sorry. Alfred slowly moved forward, his fingers delicately curving over the edge of the glass as he rested his chin on his hands. His eyes were still wide, but the deep blue irises filled with a curious, hesitant warmth.

Watching this in slight awe, Arthur's brows rose a little and he tipped his head. "...Hello there," he tried.

Alfred blinked, tilting his head to the side as well.

Repeating the movement, Arthur straightened out again, inspecting the other.

Again, Alfred mirrored his actions.

A small smile quirked at the corner of Arthur's mouth - was the merman going to keep copying? He tilted his head the other way, testing it.

Dutifully Alfred tilted his head so they matched.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at this - how cute.

Alfred's eyes widened and he tilted his head even more at the chuckle. Laughing was good too- that meant happiness. So the human was happy? The merman gave him a tiny experimental smile.

Arthur blinked at the other, a little taken aback, before smiling back.

A smile back! That was very good... Maybe Alfred could reason with the human. He reached down and grabbed the plate. Holding it out, he gently tossed it to where it was usually placed by him. He winced when a crack appeared in the rim, but it didn't seem too bad. Then, he reached out his hand to try grab it, but his arm was too short. He hoped that the human would understand that he couldn't reach.

"Oh... You're not able to reach it?" Arthur asked. So that was why he hadn't eaten. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."

There it was again. Sorry. Alfred nodded and gave him another soft smile in return.

"Okay." Arthur smiled back a little. "I'll hold it up for you while you're there, then."

Ears flicking softly, Alfred decided that was enough human contact for the day and curled back up at the bottom, his back to him.

Arthur blinked at this, but smiled and nodded. "Ah, I'll see you tomorrow or something, then." Then he picked the plate up and headed out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of progress in this chapter.

Once he was gone Alfred uncurled and sighed. He settled in the corner of his tank and watched the pool glumly until he eventually drifted off. When he woke the next morning, he found that the entire pool had been drained. Staring at the empty hole in the ground he started shaking a bit, not knowing if this was better or worse. After a few minutes, he curled up into a tight ball.

Not too long after, Arthur came in with a tray of fish. "Hello. I've got some fish for you..."

Perking up, Alfred moved to the edge of the tank. He frowned and pointed at the pool, ignoring the scent of the fish for now.

"Hm?" Arthur looked behind him, his frown straightening out as he realized to what the mermaid was inquiring. "Ah, yes, it's being filled up tomorrow for you."

Alfred cocked his head.

"With salt water. The stuff before had chlorine, so..."

The merman sank deeper into his tank, nodding softly. His eyes zeroed in on the fish and darkened, and when he opened his mouth next his teeth were pointed.

"You- You want it, right?" Arthur held the fish up again, like last time.

Alfred nodded eagerly.

"Go ahead, then."

Slowly, Alfred reached out towards the plate. Arthur simply held it up a fraction higher. And in the next moment, the merman had snatched it all up again and retreated to the corner.

Blinking at the sudden motion, Arthur stood by obediently to let the other finish.

The fish was gone moments later and Alfred glanced at him. He bit his lip and then slowly offered him the plate back.

Arthur smiled gently at the gesture and reached up for the plate, placing it by his feet when he got it.

Surprised that the human wasn't leaving yet, Alfred blinked. He hesitated for a moment - the other blond hadn't really given him a reason to distrust him fully, and the food and pool matters had been resolved, but how much exactly could Alfred trust him? - but then waved Arthur closer.

Eyebrows rising in surprise, Arthur hesitated but then moved up to the tank.

Alfred's fingers scrabbled gently across Arthur's cheeks, and the merman's eyes were wide as he traced across Arthur's skin.

Arthur blinked, tensing very slightly at first at the suddenness, but then he relaxed and stared back up at the creature. "...Did you want something?" he asked quietly, left slightly breathless at this mermaid ghosting his skin and - well, he'd admit it - staring into a rather handsome creature's eyes.

Alfred shook his head gently and after another few moments of exploration he drew back.

"Ah... All right." Arthur gave the other a small smile, then lifted his own hand, stopping before it reached the other's face. "Ah...can I?"

Alfred's eyes flicked from Arthur's hand to his face rapidly a few times before he slowly nodded.

"Okay." Arthur reached up and gently cupped the merman's face, unsure whether or not he was all that surprised at how human he felt- his upper half was, after all, human, if a little damp.

Alfred gasped softly at the gentle touch and he found himself leaning into it, his eyes boring into the human's the entire time.

Gently stroking the merman's cheek, a soft smile slowly came across Arthur's face.

Alfred was a bit confused at the smile- did it really make the human so happy just to touch him? "Wh- Whaaaa?"

Arthur blinked, moving backwards ever so slightly in his surprise. "What?" He hadn't expected the merman to talk...

Said merman was surprised as well. He hadn't realized that he'd spoken up, and now it seemed the human didn't like it. Alfred drew back, gently slipping his face free and backing up until he hit the wall.

"H-Hey...what's wrong? What did you want?" Arthur seemed distressed, worried that he'd somehow offended the creature, and he moved forward a step.

"Nnn! Nnnnno!" Alfred quickly shook his head, raising his hands in a 'stop' gesture.

Arthur immediately halted his movements, shifting slightly in his spot instead. "Okay," he said softly. "It's okay."

"Nnnnnn..." Alfred didn't like seeing the distress on the human's face. The smile was much nicer. So he cautiously moved forward and placed his index fingers at the corners of the man's lips and tried to pull them up.

Arthur's eyes grew perplexed as this happened, and he let out a small chuckle. "Ah, what are you doing?" he asked, grinning a little.

Alfred gave a pleased chirp at the smile and backed away from him, though his fingers caressed the human's cheeks before they were gone.

Arthur looked after the other for a moment, a softer but slightly surprised smile gracing his features. "...You were wanting me to smile?" he asked quietly, unused to the idea. It wasn't often that somebody asked that of him - but then again, he hadn't given many people the opportunity.

Alfred nodded happily.

"Well... thank you, I suppose," Arthur replied with a small chuckle, then, "So, you can talk? And you understand me, too."

The merman nodded again, but it was much more slow this time. He wasn't sure if it was okay to let the human know that at that point, but he'd already given himself away anyway. He was left with no option but to take the risk.

"Okay." Arthur noticed that the other was a little nervous at this, so he decided not to pry much further for now and simply nodded. "All right, that's good."

Nodding yet again, Alfred then slipped more into the water, stifling a wince. It really was getting so dirty... He hoped that the human had been telling the truth and that the pool would be filled the next day.

"So, I'll come with more fish tomorrow then- ah or do you need more than that?" Arthur asked, hoping the other could hear him and he wasn't just talking to himself.

Alfred simply let out a chirp and swirled around a bit in the water.

Arthur left with a grin soon after, happy with the progress made. He hoped they'd make some more the next day, and as he entered with a platter of fish, he gave the other a small smile as he offered it.

This time when Arthur offered it though, the merman took the food a piece at a time.

"You're not taking the plate?" Arthur asked.

Alfred's brow furrowed. Was that a bad thing? "Nnnn...?" His hand slowed as he took another piece.

"Ah- I mean, this." Arthur gestured to the plate. "You're not taking it?"

"Nnnn?" Alfred looked even more confused, and in the next moment he had snatched the platter, scared that it would get taken away. His chest heaved and he held it tightly against his chest, not caring about the fish pressed against him. His eyes were wide and fearful again.

"Wh- hey, hey." Arthur frowned slightly, concerned. "What's wrong? I won't take it..."

"Wo... Woooon't?" Alfred asked carefully, not relaxing his stance.

Arthur shook his head and took a step back to show the other that he wouldn't take it from him.

Relaxing almost instantly, Alfred nodded a tiny bit and snapped up the rest of the fish. When the platter was clean he cautiously held it back out to the other man.

The Brit smiled slightly, reaching up to take it and place it to the side,

Alfred moved forward again, resting his chin on the edge of the glass. He chirped softly, his tail giving little swishes under the water.

Chuckling softly at this, Arthur tilted his head. "Well then. Hello."

Alfred tilted his head the same way, grinning widely. This human was turning out much better than he expected. "Hell-o!"

Arthur's smile grew. "Yes. Well... I haven't actually introduced myself, have I?" he said, mostly just thinking aloud. "My name's Arthur."

"Arrthur?" Alfred tilted his head and smiled more himself.

"That's right." Arthur confirmed with a nod. "Arthur Kirkland. ...Do you have a name?"

Biting his lips for a moment, Alfred then nodded.

"Okay." Arthur noted his body language and gave the other a small smile. "Do you want to tell me?"

Did Alfred want to tell him? The merman hesitated as he thought it over, but then he nodded once more.

"All right. What is it?"

"Al- Alfrred!"

"Alfred?" Arthur blinked, surprised that his name was a regular human one (though he wasn't sure what exactly to expect anyway). "It suits you."

Alfred was pleased by Arthur's words and he gave a happy chirp. "Yea!" He nodded vigorously, his tail swishing a bit faster.

Arthur gave a small laugh at the other's actions. "Ah, that's right, Alfred. I'm having the pool changed today, so some people are coming around to clean and fill it. So I'm afraid I'll need to hide you behind a curtain, is that all right?"

"Curtain?" Alfred frowned, bit after a moment he nodded. Arthur shouldn't hurt him, and if other people were coming then he didn't want to be seen. But he also didn't want to be left alone with them... "Sstaay..."

"Stay?" Arthur thought for a moment. "Stay with you? I'll have to go to let the workers in and tell them what I need, but I'll stay in this room with them. And I'll come back once I've talked to them."

Alfred moved away and sank lower in the water.

Arthur offered him a small smile before thinking of where a curtain might be. "I'm just going to look for something to hide you with and then come back, all right?"

"Yea." Alfred submerged completely, curling up.

Arthur left to search for a curtain or at least a large sheet, returning a few minutes later with one. "...I'm sorry about this," he said.

"Sorry?" Alfred lifted his head and frowned inquisitively.

"For covering you up. I'll need to put this over the tank," Arthur further explained, holding up the sheet.

Alfred allowed a few bubbles to burst from his mouth. He swirled around in the tank for a moment but then nodded.

"Okay. They'll be coming soon." Arthur gave him a small smile before throwing the sheet over the tank until it was all covered. He'd say it was a new statue or something...

There was a thump from underneath the sheet and then silence.

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening slightly. "Alfred...? Are you okay?"

A faint chirp sounded from within the tank.

Arthur let out a small sigh in relief. "All right, good." The doorbell suddenly rang. "Ah, I'll see you in a bit."

Alfred curled up a bit in the darkness and waited.

After explaining the situation to them, the workers cleaned and started to fill up the pool. They explained that he needed to wait for a day to let the water settle and purify (they put something in it), before giving him a packet of powder to put in the next day, with the assurance that it was completely natural. Once they left, Arthur pulled the sheet off of Alfred's tank.

Alfred was asleep, though when the light brightened he stirred and opened his eyes. "Arthur?" he asked, lifting his head above the water.

"Yes, hello," Arthur replied with a smile. "They've gone now."

"Gone!" Alfred said happily. He looked past Arthur to see the filled-up pool and strained towards it, reaching his hand out as if to touch it.

Arthur blinked at the action and gave the other a guilty look. "Ah- Not yet, I'm afraid. The water needs to settle for a day, I think they added some things to clean it, so it's not healthy to go in."

Alfred gave a low whine, stretching his hand out even more.

"Alfred... It's not safe yet. I can put more salt in tomorrow and you can go in."

The merman slumped down, defeated and listless. He pressed his cheek against the edge of the tank and allowed his arm to hang off the side. He was so close...

Arthur sighed sadly at the other. "I'm sorry. It won't be long."

Alfred only gave him a miserable whine.

"I know... But it's better than you being poisoned by the water now."

Alfred glanced at him, unimpressed. He wasn't sure what exactly 'poisoned' meant, but he just wanted more space. He could feel his muscle mass slowly fading since he didn't have that much space at the moment.

Watching him for a few more moments, Arthur sighed again and dropped his gaze.

At the sigh Alfred looked up and reached out to grab Arthur's face.

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening, and stared up at Alfred.

"Whaa?" Alfred's thumbs swept across Arthur's cheeks before pressing into the corners of his mouth and pulling them up. "Happy," he commanded.

The Brit blinked again, but this time he laughed softly, pulling his face back a little so he could smile properly. "All right, but you too."

"Ah!" Alfred's fingers immediately traced that smile, watching it with wide eyes.

"...What?" Arthur murmured, afraid of displacing the curious fingers on his skin. "You really want me to smile that much?"

"Yea." The merman's eyes were fixated on Arthur's lips.

Arthur shifted a little, and a rosy hue appeared on his cheeks- he couldn't remember the last time he'd been touched like this. Even if Alfred wasn't meaning it in quite the same way. "W-Well. Same to you."

"Me?" Alfred tilted his head a bit. Noticing the redness on his cheeks, Alfred leaned closer to him to try and get a better look at it.

"Ah- yes." Arthur felt his cheeks grow even warmer at the close presence and hoped it wouldn't be noticeable.

After another moment, Alfred pulled back. "Happy," he said contently.

Arthur gave a swift nod. "Good."

Pursing his lips, Alfred leaned back in the tank until his head was the only thing above the water. He pointed to his mouth and snapped his jaws a bit.

Arthur tilted his head and frowned slightly. "You want more food?"

"Yea."

"All right. I'll go see if I've any fish left - I think I do."

Alfred nodded and closed his eyes.

Not too long after, Arthur returned with the last of the fish, holding it up to Alfred. "I'll have to go and buy some more for you tomorrow." he said.

Last of the fish. That was never good. Alfred's eyes widened a bit. Arthur had said there would be more tomorrow, but... He shook his head. He would manage.

"Are you sure?" Arthur frowned slightly. "I thought you wanted it?"

"No... Last fish..."

"I can get more." Arthur said with a shrug. "And there's other food."

"Other...food?" Alfred held his hands out for the fish.

"Yes. Humans don't just live eating fish, you know," Arthur said, passing the merman his food.

"No?" Baring his sharp teeth, Alfred tore into the fish.

Arthur watched in fascination as he replied. "No. We have fish, of course, but other things too... meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy..."

Noticing the fascination, Alfred lifted his face from the bloody flesh and gave Arthur a wide smile.

The Brit cringed a little at the sight- he wasn't amazing with gore- but he smiled back regardless. He couldn't help but find it interesting how Alfred's teeth grew pointed with hunger, and his eyes grew dark.

The smile vanished almost immediately. Alfred had seen the cringe and hurried to wipe his face. "Sorry..." he mumbled, turning around to finish his food.

"What?" Arthur frowned slightly, worried. "No, it's fine..."

"No... Sorry." When he was finished with the fish Alfred turned around, but he was still careful to keep his mouth closed, at least until his features had returned to normal.

"Alfred..." Arthur didn't like seeing the merman like this, not when they had just started getting close, and not when Alfred seemed to want  _Arthur_  to smile so much.

"Hmm?" Alfred tilted his head.

"Don't be sorry."

After a moment of blinking, Alfred nodded. His lips curled into a small, close-mouthed smile.

Arthur's brow furrowed further at this. "And smile properly like you usually do, you idiot," he said softly.

"Idiot?" Alfred frowned right back at him.

"It means you're being ridiculous and not smiling like you should be."

Alfred blinked and quickly gave him a bright smile. "No idiot?"

Arthur gave a small, relieved nod. "Right."

"Right!" Grinning happily, Alfred settled back against the glass. A few minutes later he gave a yawn and smacked his lips together.

"Oh, of course, you must be tired. I'll head off then, shall I? So you can sleep."

"Yea." Alfred reached out lazily and smeared some water across Arthur's cheek as he stroked it good night.

Arthur chuckled softly at the motion. "Good night, then, Alfred."

"Night!" Alfred chirped back. When he was alone he curled up and closed his eyes. It wasn't particularly late, but the sooner he fell asleep the sooner he'd wake and could be in the pool.

It was early afternoon the next day by the time Arthur had finished putting the salt in the pool and he clapped his hands together with a proud grin on his face, despite the fact that sprinkling some powder in a pool was hardly an impressive thing to achieve. "Right. In about 10 minutes, it should have spread out enough, and you can go in!"

"Yea! Yea!" Alfred wriggled happily, some of the water sloshing out of the tank.

"Heh, calm down there," Arthur said, though his voice wasn't scolding at all.

"No!" Alfred continued wriggling, even managing to squeeze in a few loops into the cramped tank. He was too happy to be still, though the tank creaked slightly from his movements.

"Come on, you'll break something." Arthur chuckled.

"No!" Alfred pouted, but he stopped his swirling and waited patiently for Arthur to tell him it was okay to go into the pool.

Arthur just grinned softly at the other's antics. "All right. It should be fine now," he said after a few minutes.

Almost immediately Alfred flopped out of the tank, landing with a wet smack. He groaned but then shook himself off and started dragging himself towards the pool.

"Ah, hey, hey, do you want any help?" Arthur offered, moving towards the merman.

Alfred gasped, flipping over and staring up at him. "Nnn! No!" Maybe it was his vulnerable position on the ground, but he didn't want Arthur anywhere near him. He was cumbersome on land, unable to protect himself should anything happen. He was pretty sure that Arthur had zero bad intentions towards him, but there was always that one tiny possibility. He was a mermaid after all, an oddity in the world.

The Brit immediately stopped in his tracks and took a few steps back, nodding. "Okay. That's fine, don't worry," he said.

"O-Okay." Alfred gathered himself and quickly slipped into the pool, feeling better the moment he felt the clean water against his scales. He was also more graceful in the deeper waters, turning loops and swirling around. Squeals and chirps burst from the merman's mouth, audible even outside of the water.

Arthur watched in awe, a fascinated smile on his face as he stared at the admittedly rather beautiful sight in front of him. Glad the other was happy, Arthur gave a small chuckle and rested against the wall.

After a few minutes Alfred calmed down and stopped his antics. His head popped up above the water and he searched for Arthur. Finding the human, he swam towards him and rested his head on the side of the pool nearest. "Thank you!"

Ah, so he was polite, too. Arthur smiled gently. "You're welcome, Alfred."

"Happy!" Alfred returned the smile. "I happy you...you owner!"

"Hm?" Arthur frowned slightly inquisitively at that. "Alfred, I'm not your owner..."

"Yeah..." Alfred's own brow furrowed. "You buy though, right?"

"You mean I bought you?" Arthur shook his head softly. "I didn't do that to  _own_  you. Nobody owns you but yourself, okay?"

"But you bought..."

"No, no... I wasn't trying to own you. I'm not your owner, I'm your-" Arthur paused here, looking at the merman curiously for a small moment. "Friend," he finished in a firm, but soft, tone.

Alfred blinked at the strange word. "Friend?" he asked, tilting his head. He also got a bit annoyed at Arthur's distance, so after heaving himself out of the pool he dragged his body closer. The man was sitting down, so he looked less threatening and Alfred felt he could approach without feeling as nervous.

"Yes. I'm here for you if you need me, but..." Arthur sighed slightly, tilting his head at the other. "I don't tell you what to do. Only you do that, all right?"

"Right!" Alfred replied, pausing a few feet away from him. "Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur replied, raising a brow in question.

"You don't... You don't hurt me...ever?" the merman asked softly, looking at Arthur with wide, unsure eyes. Touching faces was one thing, but curling up next to him? Alfred needed to know, needed Arthur's word that he wasn't going to get hurt by the human.

Arthur frowned gently at the other, his eyes concerned. "Why would I ever hurt you?" he asked quietly. "Of course I won't."

"I'm...weird..." Alfred lowered his eyes. "Weird gets hurt." One of the Black Market men had told him that the day after he'd gotten captured. The words never really went away.

Scrutinizing the other for a moment, Arthur shook his head slightly. "Not by me," he murmured. "You're..." He allowed his eyes to scan over the other. The sparkle in his eyes. The gentle curve of natural muscle. The deep blue sheen of scales on his tail. There was no other way to put it but- "Beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Alfred had been called 'a beauty' before, but that was by the men who'd caught him. He sensed Arthur meant it in a different way- in a wholly good way. He chirped happily and dragged himself closer, until he was right next to the human, and smiled.

"Yes." Arthur blinked and smiled gently back down at the creature next to him.

Moving slowly, Alfred leaned his head on Arthur's shoulder and swished his tail a bit so the fin covered the Brit's feet. "Friend..." he whispered happily.

Arthur raised his brows in surprise at the action, but nodded gently. "Yes," he said, bringing a hand up to softly ruffle Alfred's hair. His smile grew as he tested the word in his mouth, enjoying the way it rolled out of him. "Friend."

Alfred's eyes widened at the hair ruffling- who knew that could feel so good?! He groaned and leaned his head into Arthur's hand.

"Hm? You like it?" Arthur asked, slowing the movement down a little.

"Yeah..." Alfred slumped down, completely relaxed, and allowed his eyes to close.

"Heh. Good." Leaning back into the wall, Arthur sighed, allowing his hands to slow until they gently combed through Alfred's still damp hair.

After another few minutes of that, Alfred started to get an itching sensation on his tail and frowned. With a small whine he pulled away from Arthur and slithered his way back into the pool, sighing contently when he hit the water.

"Ah-" Arthur frowned slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Can't dry..." Alfred pointed to his tail. "Hurts."

"All right." Arthur stood and moved to the edge of the pool.

Alfred nodded and swam off to deeper waters, submerging completely and playing around under the water.

Chuckling, Arthur rolled his trousers up and sat on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water as he watched. The salt water felt fresh against his skin, a nice change from the usual chlorine-filled water. It would be harder to change and keep fresh and clean, but it was worth it, the Brit decided, when he saw how happy and playful Alfred seemed. It was really a sight that was worth it.

After a while of playing Alfred noticed the pair of legs resting in the water. His pupils narrowed and a moment later he shot off in their direction, fast and straight as a loosed arrow. He gracefully slowed before hitting the wall and grabbed one of Arthur's legs, nibbling playfully at his toes.

Arthur's eyes widened as he saw the merman coming towards him, staring in shock for a few moment before finally finding his voice. "A-Alfred, what are you doing?" he stuttered out.

Alfred's head popped over the water. "Hunting!" he said brightly.

Arthur blinked, pulling his foot back a little. He knew Alfred wasn't going to hurt him or anything, but even besides that, it was a little...awkward. "You know I'm not food right?" he asked, but he chuckled softly.

"I know!" Alfred replied cheerfully, but he released Arthur's foot nonetheless. Maybe it was too soon. He drew back.

"Heh, all right." Arthur said, grinning softly at the other. "If you're really that bored, I could always get you some toys?"

Alfred didn't smile back. "Toys?"

"Yes. Something for you to play with."

"Okay!" Alfred forced a smile onto his face and flopped back beneath the surface of the water.

Arthur's brow furrowed a little at this, and he tilted his head as he watched the other, but shrugged it off.

Alfred keened softly under the water. He had seen the brief look on Arthur's face- the look that meant he was weird or that he did something weird or wrong. Had he messed up? Would Arthur punish him for it? The merman's swimming became more agitated and jagged. Arthur wouldn't make him leave the pool, would he?! Alfred hoped not, and he hoped that he hadn't ruined anything beyond salvaging.

Blinking, Arthur's eyes filled with worry, and he leant forwards slightly. "Alfred, are you okay?"

The merman of course didn't hear his words under the water, only slight vibrations, and even those were masked by his own pitiful whines.

"Alfred?!" Arthur's eyes widened slightly.

That registered and Alfred stopped, looking to the human. His head slowly emerged from the water and he shook it to get any liquid from his ears out. "Yeah?"

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, biting his lip in concern.

"Nothing!" Alfred said cheerfully, but then paused and saddened. "Sorry."

Taken aback by this, Arthur tipped his head. "For what?"

"Was weird..." Alfred lowered his head. "Sorry."

"Wha- You don't need to be sorry." Puzzled, Arthur frowned at him sternly. "You weren't weird Alfred- I was just worried that you were acting...less energetic than usual. And even if you were weird- there's no problem with that."

"But the..." Alfred clicked his teeth together to signify the nibbling. "That was weird..."

Arthur shrugged. "It's all right, honestly. Unexpected, yes, a little bit odd, perhaps, but it's okay to be odd. In fact, I think it's rather a good thing."

"Good thing?" Alfred frowned. Everyone had told him that he was weird and that he was bad because of it. Something to be exploited and experimented on, whatever those meant. "Odd good thing?"

"Yes." Arthur affirmed, giving a firm nod. "It makes you unique. Unlike anybody else, and wholly remarkable."

"Unique? Remarkable?" Alfred was thoroughly confused by that point- he'd never heard those words.

"One of a kind. In a very good way."

Alfred nodded sagely. "Yes one of a kind. No other like me."

"Oh?" Arthur gave him a questioning look. "...You mean you're the only one?"

"Yeah..." Alfred's eyes saddened.

"Oh..." Arthur's voice dropped low. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"No sorry." Alfred swam over and placed a hand on Arthur's knee. "Have company now."

Arthur blinked down at the hand, then gave the other a small smile. "I suppose that's true. As long as you're okay."

"Okay! Yeah!" Alfred smiled back and flipped back into the water, his tail fin accidentally whacking Arthur in the face. Not noticing that the merman swam off again, doing a few more loops.

Arthur, meanwhile, sat in a stunned silence for a moment. He hadn't expected that wet smack in the slightest, and it felt exactly what you'd think it would feel like- a slap in the face with a fish. "A-Alfred! Be more careful!" he gently reprimanded.

Alfred froze in the water and stared at him. There was already a faint tint of red on Arthur's cheek from the slap and he realized what must have happened. His mouth opened in horror and tears filled his eyes. "Arthur!" He trembled slightly. "Sorry, sorry! No hurt! Sorry!"

"Hey- no, it's fine," Arthur reassured. "I'm not hurt, it's all right. I know it was an accident. Just be a little more careful, okay?"

"Okay! Sorry!" Alfred whimpered, sinking deeper into the water. "Careful!"

"Okay. It's fine, really," Arthur said.

Alfred dove under the water, curling up on the bottom of the deepest part of the pool. He hurt Arthur. He hurt his friend...

"Alfred..." Arthur sighed softly, looking sadly at the other down in the pool. He hesitated for a moment- he really didn't have time for this, what with work- but decided to damn it all. Emails could wait another hour. Within a few seconds, Arthur had stripped of all but his boxers and quickly dove into the pool, pulling himself down to tap Alfred on the shoulder.

Alfred's eyes widened at the tap and he pulled away from him. "Go up! Gotta go up!" He gestured towards the surface- humans couldn't breathe underwater.

Arthur simply chuckled to himself, though this only came across as a soft smile, and reached up to ruffle the merman's hair. He then tugged at the other's arm- if he was to be going back up, he was at least bringing Alfred with him.

Leaning into the hand for a moment, Alfred allowed himself to be dragged up as well.

As soon as he reached the surface, Arthur shook his head- both to dispel the water clinging to his locks and amusement at his friend's actions. "Don't be silly," he said. "I'm perfectly all right, see? Don't worry yourself over me."

"But I hurt..." Eyes creasing with worry, Alfred ever so gently brought his fingers up to trace the redness on Arthur's cheek. "Sorry..."

"It's okay," Arthur urged with a small smile. "I know you didn't mean it. And it doesn't hurt one bit."

"Okay..." Alfred lowered his head a bit, still looking slightly ashamed of himself. "Don't wanna hurt you..."

"I know. Thank you."

Alfred gently pulled him into a hug, his tail swishing softly beneath the surface of the water to keep them both afloat. The merman rested his chin on the crook between Arthur's neck and shoulder and held him close. "Don't wanna hurt you..." he repeated softly.

Arthur blinked in surprise, his body tensing for a second before he relaxed and allowed his arms to circle around the other. He was warmer than Arthur expected, he noticed, and his skin was softer- though he was almost always in water, after all.

"No... No scared," Alfred murmured to him after feeling the moment of tenseness. "No hurt..."

"It's okay, Alfred," Arthur mumbled back, stroking the other's smooth back gently. "I know you won't."

"Mmm..." Closing his eyes, Alfred leaned into the gestures. It felt so good... He tightened his grip on Arthur's body and nodded. "Won't." Then he slowly let go and pulled Arthur off to the edge of the pool, guiding his hand to the edge of it. Arthur had spent longer with him than usual today so Alfred worried that there was something he wasn't doing that he needed to. "Go now?" he asked softly.

"Ah..." Arthur blinked, before giving Alfred a soft smile. "...I should, yes."

"Go, go!" Alfred gestured in the direction of the door and gave him a small smile back.

"Yes, yes," Arthur replied with a small chuckle, heaving himself out of the pool and shaking himself off before grabbing a towel. "I'll see you later," he said as he headed to the door, but he felt bad about having to leave Alfred all alone in the pool. He really would have to get some toys for the merman. After another small smile, Arthur pushed the door open and left.

"See you later!" Alfred called after him. Once Arthur was gone Alfred was admittedly bored, but he swirled around and slept to pass the time.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Arthur did when he got to the computer was order a new TV, and then got caught up shopping around for some pool toys. After a while, he caught himself, and forced himself to focus on work. It was a good thing he could run his company from home most days of the week.

Just as the Brit had started to get bored and doodle on his desk, the phone rang.

"Hey Kirkland!" Gilbert Beilschmidt's voice rang out through the device. The German man was Arthur's neighbor, and he lived one floor down with his husband and their child. "Would you be able to look after Fritz tomorrow? From like 3 until 6?"

Arthur winced and moved the phone away from his ear- the damn idiot was always way too loud. He could have sworn the other did it to annoy him. "I should have known..." he murmured. "What's it for this time?"

"Mattie's got a thing to do and I gotta go with him," Gilbert explained, his voice rising with each word. "And come on, you know Fritz really likes you- you always give him cool books and he has fun. Please?"

Sighing, Arthur leant back in his chair and thought about what to do. He could keep the child away from Alfred, he supposed, and it did seem rather important. "...Fine," he grumbled. "I should really start charging you for this."

At that Gilbert laughed. "As if. We all know you enjoy it too much."

"Oh, shut it," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes. "Bring the lad round."

"Thanks Arthur! I'll bring him at 2:30"

"All right. See you then."

And the next day at exactly 2:35, Gilbert was standing in front of Arthur's door. He knelt down to Fritz's level. "You'll be awesome, right? Behave and stuff?"

The small child nodded his head fiercely, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Good." The German leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Love you, little man." He stood up again and knocked.

Soon enough, Arthur arrived at the door, frowning gently at the albino outside.

"What is it, Kirkland?"

"Well you're the one who knocked at my door, you idiot," Arthur replied with a huff, before looking down at the child. "Hello, Fritz."

"Hi!"

"Yeah well what's with the frown?" Gilbert gave the boy a soft push forward.

"You're late," Arthur replied, watching as the boy hugged his father's leg before running to Arthur's side. He raised a brow, though he wore a small smirk.

"Wow, five minutes. It's the end of the world." Gilbert rolled his eyes and waved before strolling off.

Arthur shook his head. "See you," he called after the other, before turning to Fritz. "So, anything you want to do?"

It took Arthur almost an hour to get the excitable child settled with one of his books, and he finally had the time to go and explain to Alfred what was going on. He ran an already exhausted hand through his hair as he opened the door to the pool and peeked in.

Alfred's head popped above the water. "Arthur!" he called happily.

Immediately, a chuckle found its way to Arthur's mouth. "Hello Alfred," he said, walking to the pool and making sure the door was closed behind him.

The merman moved to the side of the pool. "Hello!"

"How are you doing?"

"Okay!" Alfred reached out and touched him. He hadn't seen the human all day and had missed him. "All alone..." he chirped sadly.

"I know," Arthur replied softly, giving the other an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. It can't be helped, I'm afraid... And I can't stay for long now, either..."

"Why?" Alfred further saddened. "Stay! Please!"

"I'm sorry, Alfred." Arthur's hand came down to stroke Alfred's hair gently. "My neighbors went out, and I need to look after their child for a few hours."

"Oh..." Alfred thought he understood. His eyelids fluttered as he leaned into the stroking but his shoulders were still slumped in sadness. "Child?" He looked up at him curiously. "Can I see?"

"I- Alfred, I'm not sure that's wise..."

"Oh. Right. I'm unique..." Alfred pursed his lips and sank lower in the water.

"No, Alfred..." Arthur sighed. "Listen to me, that's a good thing. Your personality is unique and individual. But... I don't want him to see you without me explaining things to his parents, then go off and tell everybody he knows, then for people to come and look at you and prod at you. I don't want you to be hurt, so for now, at least, we have to be careful, okay?"

"I know." Alfred gave him a small smile. "Tell him... Friend says hi."

"I will," Arthur replied, smiling back. "And, hey, I'll come back to see you still. Once he's gone I can stay for longer, hm?"

"Okay." Alfred tilted his head up and nuzzled to Arthur's hand for a moment. "See you."

"I'll see you soon." Another quick ruffle later, and Arthur headed off.

Alfred blew bubbles in the water as he watched the human go. Arthur had promised to get him entertainment, but it hadn't come in yet so the merman was forced to find his own ways to amuse himself for now. Mostly he just did laps or slept or watched the world outside the windows.

Arthur quickly headed back to the room he'd left Fritz in, sighing with relief when he found the boy still sitting and reading.

They boy glanced up at Arthur when the other man came back in. He closed the book and set it aside. "Could I get another book, Arthur?"

"Oh, are you already done with that one?" Arthur asked, raising a brow. "Well all right, how about...this?" he said, passing over another book.

"This one's okay! Thank you!" Fritz took the book with a small smile. "I'm going to go to the bathroom too, okay?"

"Of course." Arthur said with a nod. "You know where it is."

"Okay!" Fritz darted up and moved into the hall that Arthur had come out of. Down it were three doors: to a spare bedroom, to a bathroom, and to the pool room. Arthur probably had been in the bathroom, but he had been an awfully long time... The boy shrugged and entered the second door. He stayed in the room for about two minutes, not really doing anything, and then flushed the toilet and came back out.

"So you're happy to just read the book, then?" Arthur asked upon his return.

"Well  _Papa_  said you're busy so I should play quietly by myself or read," Fritz replied, looking at Arthur with intelligent grey eyes. "And reading is fun."

"Heh. That's very true."

Nodding, Fritz seated himself and picked up the new book. Before opening it however, he glanced at Arthur. "You work at a place that makes new books, right?  _Papa_  said so."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, giving the other a small smile. "That's right."

"Did you have any awesome books made lately?"

"I only accept the 'awesome' ones," Arthur replied with a grin.

"Really?" Fritz's smile grew. "Are there any that I would like?  _Papa_  said he would buy them for me."

Arthur chuckled. "I'm sure there's plenty."

"Okay! I'll tell him." Still smiling softly, Fritz opened the book and started reading it.

Arthur sat with him for most of it, though he occasionally left for a moment to check up on Alfred, until Gilbert arrived back.

Little Fritz noticed every time he left- Arthur didn't have a peeing problem, did he?- but he didn't press the matter. When the doorbell rang he put the book away and trailed Arthur to the door.

"Hey there, Artie!" Gilbert grinned, though he looked tired. "How was he?" He looked down as Fritz latched onto his leg and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

"Excellent as always," Arthur replied with a small smile. "How was it?"

"Fuc- Really tiring." The German ran his hands through his hair. "But hey Mattie understood all that scientific crap so it went well I guess." He shrugged.

"Ah, right. Well give him my best, won't you?"

"I will, don't worry. C'mere Fritz." Gilbert hefted the boy into his arms. "See ya around, Eyebrows. Have fun with your publishing shi- stuff." He walked off, whistling softly.

Arthur waved after them for a moment, but as soon as they'd left, he closed the door and headed to the pool room. "Alfred!"

"Arthur!" Alfred leapt up from the water, doing a little flip in the air before landing back in it with a splash and swimming to the edge. "Arthur, Arthur!"

Unable to help a small chuckle from escaping, Arthur moved to the pool's edge and smiled softly down at the other. "Hello, there," he said. "How are you?"

"Happy now!" Alfred beamed up at him, almost the entirety of his body wriggling with the joy. "Stay now?"

"Heh, yes. It's just us."

"Just us..." Alfred murmured the words reverently, staring up at Arthur with wide blue eyes. He gently took hold of Arthur's hand and tugged it down to rest on top of his head.

"Yes..." Arthur blinked for a moment, before understanding the meaning and stroking Alfred's hair gently. "You like this, hm?"

"Yes." Alfred closed his eyes and practically melted under the touch.

Chuckling, Arthur ruffled the locks softly, tilting his head as he watched the other's reactions.

"Mmm..." Low groans and chirps worked their way out of the merman's throat. "Arthur..." His upper half sprawled out over the pool edge and he gave a happy sigh.

Arthur gave a small smile at this, finding the merman's reactions quite adorable. "...Come on, don't you want food?" he asked softly.

Immediately Alfred's eyes snapped open and the pupils dilated. "Food?"

"Heh." Of course. "Well, you've not had any, right?"

"No! Fish, fish!" Alfred jerked away from him and dove under the water, swirling in circles and seeming to look for the food.

"Ah-" What was he trying to achieve with that? Arthur chuckled to himself and shook his head. He could always throw it in. Quickly retrieving the fish, Arthur did just that, chucking in a piece at a time.

Under the water, Alfred's eyes widened. Arthur was- he was throwing them in? Fine then. A game it was. His teeth lengthening, he swept his tail more powerfully through the water and snapped up the fish almost as soon as they were thrown in.

Arthur grinned as he watched, throwing more and more pieces in at different angles and arcs.

It took Alfred a moment to realize what Arthur was doing, but once he did he changed his path and did larger loops to suit the new fish. A few times he almost crashed into the wall but a quick flick of the tail corrected his angle and he avoided that.

Soon enough, the fish was used up, and Arthur sat back and waited for Alfred.

When the rain of fish stopped Alfred froze, confused. He blinked a few times before realizing what had happened. Breaking the surface of the water, he whined slightly. "No more?"

"I'm afraid not," Arthur replied. "Do you need more?"

"No..." Shaking his head, Alfred slowly swam closer to the edge. "Want more."

"Hm. Well I can always get more for you."

"It okay." Alfred took hold of Arthur's hand. "Stay..."

Arthur gave the other a small smile and nodded. "Of course."

"Okay." Alfred bit his lip after a few moments, looking down. "...Arthur?" There was a request he wanted to make, but he wasn't sure what Arthur would make of it.

"Yes?" Arthur frowned softly, wondering what the other could want that made him seem so tentative.

"Could you...teach..." Alfred frowned, searching for the words. "Teach me...speak better?"

As Arthur watched the other carefully, a gentle smile spread across his face. "...Of course I can," he answered softly.

"Really?" Alfred grinned brightly back at him. "Good! Want... Want to speak better."

"Well then, I'll help in any way I can," Arthur said, sitting back with a proud huff and a grin to match. "And if you're talking about what you want to do, then you say 'I'."

"I? I...I want?" Alfred tried out. "I want to speak better?"

Arthur nodded appreciatively. "Very good."

"Good!" Alfred chirped happily at the praise. "Teach more!"

"Ah, ah, teach 'me' more." Arthur smiled gently at the other's enthusiasm.

"Arthur! Teach  _me_  more!" the merman requested cheerfully, wriggling a bit and moving closer to the edge of the pool.

"All right, all right." Arthur chuckled. "Well...where shall I start?"

"Anywhere! And...sit!"

"You want me to sit down?" Arthur asked, tilting his head.

"Yes!" Alfred patted the pool's edge insistently. "Please? Better- I- I bet-" He searched for the word- how to describe his emotions, how happy he was? He huffed in frustration when he couldn't. "I better!"

A soft smile twitched at Arthur's lips at this, and he gladly sat by the edge of the pool. "Do you mean 'it's better'...?"

That didn't sound right... "No! I- I am happy! I better!" Alfred started shaking slightly from the annoyance and disappointment he felt bubbling within his chest.

"Ah...hey, it's all right, I get it," Arthur said softly. "You are better?"

"I am happy!" Alfred cried, tears slowly forming in his eyes. Why didn't he just know the word? "I am better!"

"A-Alfred, it's okay..."

"O-Okay?" Alfred paused in his wallowing and looked up at him in hopeful eyes. "Okay I don't know what it is?"

"Of course it is," Arthur said with a soft smile, stroking Alfred's hair gently. "You'll get it eventually."

Alfred instantly relaxed at the strokes. "What... What is...for me happy? Or sad?" He reached down and touched his chest. "I happy...here. I am sad here. What is that?"

Arthur frowned a little, puzzled. "You mean...your feelings?"

"Feelings?" Alfred tried out the word. "I feelings better when you sit with me?"

"Feel." Arthur chuckled a little. "You feel better."

"I feel better..." Alfred sighed with relief at knowing how to say it. "I feel better with you, Arthur!"

"I'm glad." Arthur smiled at the other- just a couple of weeks ago his life was a routine of waking up, sitting at the computer, and going to bed. Just one evening dragged off by a slightly shady Russian and all of a sudden his run-of-the mill life had just been made a hell of a lot more  _interesting_. "...Me too."

"Really? You feel happy when with me?" Alfred's eyes widened and he leaned forward to nuzzle to Arthur's leg. He had been so scared before... And now, now he found there was a tiny part of him that was glad he'd been captured. It was a lonely life for him before, and full of danger, but now Arthur was there and Arthur would protect him.

"I do," Arthur replied gladly.

Alfred nestled his head on Arthur's lap. "Good..." he murmured, closing his eyes. "Teach more? Please?"

"Mm, well what do you want me to teach you...?"

"More! More like 'feel' and 'I'!"

"More words, hm?"

"Yeah!" Alfred paused. "Words? Words are...are feel and I?"

"Yes, those are words."

"So yes! Teach more words!"

Arthur smiled, and so the evening passed with him teaching Alfred better grammar and how to talk about people and tenses. It was a good thing he was a publisher, really, because he could teach the other good, British English and grammar.

And Alfred lapped it all up, eagerly learning and memorizing every word and phrase that Arthur fed him. By the end of the day he was confident that he could hold a proper conversation on at least the most basic of levels.

"So, anything else?" Arthur asked him.

"Okay for now." Alfred smiled up at the human. "You go now?"

"'Are you going now'." Arthur corrected. "And I don't mind staying for a little more, if you want me to."

"I want you to. Come here with me?" The merman pushed away from the edge and drifted towards the middle of the pool.

Arthur gave a small smile and nodded. "Sure," he said, standing to strip his top off before diving into the pool and swimming towards the other.

Smiling back at him Alfred allowed him to approach. "With me more fun than with grey longnoses, yeah?"

It took Arthur a moment to figure that out, and he chuckled as he did so. "Grey- ah, you mean dolphins? Yes, it is."

"Dolphins? Weird word..." Alfred muttered, shaking his head. But he smiled more at Arthur's words, reaching out to grab his arm.

"Hm? What is it?"

Alfred took a moment to construct the sentence in his mind. "I am happy when I hold you," he delivered softly.

Arthur blinked in surprise, then flushed slightly. If course, Alfred was just meaning it innocently, but... It wasn't very often Arthur heard that. "Ah... Well, I'm, uhm, glad."

The merman stiffened when he saw the bright redness on Arthur's cheeks. Red was never good. Red meant injury. Red meant blood. "Are you okay?!" He leaned in so their faces were inches apart and with trembling hands brushed his fingertips across the Brit's cheek. "Are you hurt?"

Eyes widening a little, Arthur moved back ever so slightly in his surprise. "I-I'm fine, Alfred, why would I be hurt?"

"Y-You got red-" Alfred whispered, gesturing to his cheeks. "Red is bad..."

"No- no it isn't always..." Arthur shifted slightly. "This isn't hurt. It's just because I'm slightly embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Alfred decided that the unfamiliar word felt weird on his tongue. He cocked his head to the side, waiting for Arthur to explain it.

"Ah... Well... It's if someone's a little awkward or... Shy. They get embarrassed, so they don't quite know how to react..."

"Oh. Why are you...embarrassed?"

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again as he looked up at the merman. "I'm not used to people being so close. And... People don't usually say things like that either."

Alfred's head lowered and he let go of Arthur. Did humans not show this much affection? Did they not mate so intimately? Not that Alfred was interested, but still. The fishman was affectionate by nature, so curbing that would be hard. "Sorry..."

"Hey, no, it's nothing to apologize for..." Arthur said quickly.

"You said...'not used to being so close'. I will stop being so close." Alfred gave him a crumbly smile.

"That-" Arthur frowned slightly. "That doesn't mean I don't  _like_  it. I'm just- it doesn't happen often."

"Still sorry..."

"Don't be. Please."

"Why? You said-"

"It doesn't matter! Honestly, Alfred, it's not a bad thing. Plenty of humans are just as affectionate- God knows plenty that are  _more_  so- just not usually towards me. Don't act different just because I was caught off guard." Arthur huffed softly.

Alfred had flinched and moved back at the initial tone of Arthur's voice, but by the end of his little speech the merman allowed himself to drift closer. "Okay..." he replied, just as quiet.

"Exactly. Come now, no need to be so tentative."

"Come now what?" Alfred tilted his head.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur bridged the gap himself and pulled Alfred towards him into a hug. "Really..."

Alfred's eyes flew wide and he froze. Then, two seconds later he shook himself and hugged Arthur back tightly, his tail slipping between the man's legs.

After a moment, Arthur relaxed more fully and rubbed the other's back gently.

"Sorry Arthur..." Alfred mumbled. "I was...not me. I am better now." He leaned into the touches.

"It's fine," Arthur murmured. "Don't apologize."

"Okay..." Closing his eyes, Alfred rested his head on Arthur's shoulder. A moment later, however, he got bored and pulled away, vanishing under the water and swimming rapid circles around the human, much like a predator would. He was suddenly in a playful mood.

Arthur blinked at the sudden change, his head spinning as he followed Alfred's movements.

Alfred meanwhile cruised smoothly through the water, occasionally moving so close to the human that his tail brushed up against his legs.

Arthur shivered slightly when this happened. "A-Alfred? What are you doing?"

Moving more quickly, Alfred swam off to the shallower end of the pool where he built up the mindset and launched himself at Arthur, a few feet before an inevitable crash shooting up and soaring above the Brit's head. Then he landed safely in the deep end and resumed his circling.

Arthur tensed, but then stared in awe as he watched the merman jump. "Ah..." The Brit chuckled. "You're playing, hm?"

"Yeah!" Alfred sang under the water, brushing up against him a few more times. Then he surfaced. "Try and catch me, kay?"

Arthur raised a brow at the simple challenge. "I hardly think I'll be able to, but I'll give it my damn best shot," he grumbled, diving into the water and chasing after the other.

Laughing merrily, Alfred easily avoided him and shot off to the other side of the pool.

Arthur let out a huff, then quickly swam over to where Alfred was, kicking as hard as he could.

The merman simply chuckled and dove right under him, slipping away once more.

"Ah- Alfred!" Gritting his teeth, Arthur pushed himself in the other direction, reaching out when the other seemed close enough...he could stretch that far, surely?

Alfred felt the brief touch but kept on going.

 _Damnit_... Arthur clenched his teeth and cursed under his breath as he felt the scales slip away from his fingers, and urged himself to get closer.

But by then Alfred was a good five feet away and still swimming lazily to the nearest wall. "You can do it, Arthur!" he encouraged cheerfully.

"Ah, shut it," Arthur grumbled to himself, following after the merman

"I know you can!" Once Alfred was backed into the wall, he allowed Arthur to approach.

Seeing the bait, Arthur weighed up his chances that it could be a trap and- damn it all to heck, he swam for it.

The merman, his happy smile still on his face, waited there until Arthur was two feet away. Then he darted off to the side, but he did so more slowly than he normally would have done.

And finally, finally, Arthur was upon him- almost literally, when he dove towards the merman and grabbed him, his arms circling the other's torso.

"Ah!" Alfred slowed in the water and laughed. "You did it, Arthur! I told you!" He wriggled happily and very slightly leaned into Arthur's unintentional embrace.

"Hmph. You let me catch you, didn't you?" Arthur said with a slight huff.

"What? Noooo! You caught me!" Alfred defended himself, though he somewhat shot his chances of believability by smirking a tiny bit.

"Don't go easy on me. I'll catch you properly, just you wait," Arthur replied with an equal grin.

"Okay!" Alfred twisted around so they were facing each other and grinned more. "More? You catch me more now?"

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, but then nodded. "All right, if you want."

"Let me go!" The merman wriggled happily in his grasp, and the moment he was released with a flick of his tail he was across the pool.

Shaking his head, Arthur chuckled and dove after him.

Arthur chased Alfred and Alfred ran away, occasionally slowing down ever so softly to give Arthur a better chance. The human noticed sometimes and groaned about it, but Alfred just smiled more. After half an hour of such play, though, Arthur regretfully announced that he had to go to bed soon. Alfred moped and moaned for a good minute, but he understood that there was nothing he could do about it so he said good night. When he was alone he curled up on the bottom of the pool and slept, waiting for both morning and Arthur to come again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert would totally be that kind of person who would start to curse in front of little kids all the time, but then catch himself and try to salvage it. XD


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the chapters are gonna start getting a bit longer from here on. Though there might be a few shorter ones thrown in there. Further progression now!

That morning signaled the arrival of the first of some of Alfred's new toys: a selection of weighted balls and batons and objects to fetch in the pool. It wasn't much, and there were other things Arthur would prefer to give the merman, but he hoped it was enough to tide the creature over until more arrived. Deciding he couldn't wait to give them to the other, Arthur headed to the pool straight away.

"Good morning, Alfred."

"Morning, Arthur!" Alfred immediately swam over to the edge where he was standing.

"How are you?" Arthur asked, sitting by the side of the pool.

The merman chirped. "I am good! Happy now! How are you?"

Arthur chuckled. "I'm good, thank you. I have something for you, actually..."

"Really?" Alfred perked up even more. "What?"

Grabbing the small bag quickly, Arthur presented the various toys with a shrug. "They're just some simple weights and things. You can throw them in the pool and chase after them and play games with them."

"F-For me?" Alfred's eyes widened. "They are for me?"

Arthur nodded. "You spend so much time here, and I work so much, you must get bored when I'm not here..."

"It's okay! I wait for you! But thank you!" Alfred wriggled with excitement and grabbed at the toys.

Arthur smiled softly at this, chuckling. "You're welcome. Have fun."

"I will!" Alfred immediately threw the balls in and dived in after them.

Grin growing, Arthur sat back and watched.

Happy squeals and chirps erupted from the pool as Alfred frolicked about in the water with the toys. After a moment, he froze and turned to stare at the human. "Throw it!"

Arthur raised a brow. "This one?" He asked, holding up a bar.

"Any one!"

"All right," Arthur replied, chucking in a couple of the toys and watching as they settled at various depths.

They didn't stay there for long for Alfred was almost instantly upon them, creating small waves with his enthusiastic surges. Two minutes later, after playing with the toys briefly, he deposited them in a neat pile next to the Brit. "More?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Ah... That's it for now. There should be more soon though- I'm sorry it's not much," he finished with a mumble, looking down a little.

"No, no..." Alfred reached up to touch his cheek. "These are okay." He gave the human a smile. "Throw more? And Arthur... It is everything."

Arthur blinked up at the other, then gave a small smile. "...Okay. I'm glad."

"Yes!" Alfred's smile broadened. "You be happy!"

Arthur chuckled a little at this. "Yes, yes. Come on now, we can play some more if you want."

"You want too? You want to play too?" Alfred flopped backwards into the water, submerging beneath the surface for a moment.

"Hmm..." Arthur tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "All right. I don't see why not."

Lighting up at Arthur's answer, Alfred did a little flip of joy. "Okay! We play now! Throw them more!"

Arthur gave a small grin and, taking a fistful of the batons, threw them in.

The merman squealed as he dove after them, collecting the toys just as rapidly as the first time. As he was bringing them back though, he slowed. A few years back, he had seen a human with a small furry animal on the beach. The human had thrown a stick and the animal had chased it, even going into the water. But eventually the human had gotten tired and stopped. Was this what was happening right now? Would Arthur eventually get tired of just doing this with him and stop?

Alfred deflated slightly and bit his lips as he brought the toys over. "You... You have work? You go do work..."

"Hm?" Arthur shrugged a little. "I can go a bit later. I'm working from home most days so I don't have to go in."

"No, you go work. I am okay." Alfred gave him a small smile, keeping a tight grip on the toys.

"Ah... Are you sure?" Arthur asked with a tiny frown.

"Yes! I am okay!"

Arthur nodded. "All right. I'll come back later then."

"Okay." Alfred slowly swam to the opposite side of the pool and leaned against the edge there, staring out the windows with eyes that mirrored the sky.

"See you later, Alfred," Arthur said, standing and heading off.

"See you..." Alfred's heart sank- a small part of him had hoped that Arthur would notice and stop and stay and ask what was wrong, like he so often did. But not this time, it seemed.

The blue eyes turned glassy and distant as he watched the sky and the tops of the surrounding buildings, with only occasional glimmers of movements to amuse him. A helicopter here. A plane there. Someone going out on their balcony for a few minutes. Two men hanging a rainbow flag from their window. Alfred stared at it, reciting the colours he'd learned on it until, unknowingly and still resting there, he fell asleep.

A while later, done with work, Arthur came back in with a sigh. "Hello, Alfred." After receiving no response, Arthur moved forwards with a frown. "...Alfred?"

Alfred woke with a start and stared up at him. "Hmm? Arthur?" His face brightened up a bit. "You... You done work?"

"Yes. Are you all right?"

"I am okay," Alfred replied, giving him a small, sad smile. "But you..." He searched for the correct words. "You will not...be tired of...of throwing? So much?"

"Tired...?" Arthur frowned slightly in confusion. "Why would I be...?"

"Tired... Tired...not want to do it more. Want to do other thing not throwing," Alfred tried to explain. "Like me when...when I watch human, then sun goes away and I not watch human..."

"Wha- Ah..." Arthur sighed, smiling slightly. "Well of course I'll want to do other things with you too. But that doesn't mean I won't want to play with the batons too."

Understanding and relief washed across Alfred's face and his lips stretched into a broad, genuine grin. "Okay! Arthur... Tell me, okay? Tell me when you want to do other things with...me too, okay?"

Arthur smiled softly at this, glad Alfred seemed okay. "Of course."

"Yes! Thank you, Arthur!" Alfred's grinned widened though a moment later he glanced out the window and pursed his lips. "Arthur?" he asked, dragging his eyes back to the man.

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head.

"That- That there..." The merman leaned up out of the water and pointed to the flag hanging from the window. "It is pretty... Is it special too?"

"Hm?" Arthur looked out at the flag and blinked, before turning to the other with a smile. "I guess it is in a way. It- ah- it supports equality. That flag represents gay pride- that's... Well... If two people who have the same gender are in a relationship together."

"Two people who...what?" Alfred looked up at him blankly, not understanding about half of that. "Gay? What's gay? Are you gay?"

"Uh... Well, yes, I am..." Clearing his throat, Arthur plowed on. "If a man likes another man. Or a woman likes a woman."

"You are? Do you have flag? Are you in a rela..." Alfred blinked. "A relatingsip?"

"I have a flag, yes, but... No. I'm not with anybody in that way."

"Oh." Alfred suddenly smiled. "You will be...with anybody one day! You will be special!" he told the man sweetly, pure, unadulterated happiness written all across his face.

Arthur stared at him for a moment before breaking into a grin and chuckling. "Thank you. And... I hope the same for you."

But Alfred shook his head. "I am only one like...like this." He gestured to his tail and then looked back up at Arthur, his own smile never waning. "No more. You are only one to say I am special. But I am okay. Thank you. It is better with no one for me." He didn't want any other merpeople to suffer through the terror of getting captured- and he felt there weren't many people who were so nice like Arthur who frequented the place where he was sold.

Arthur blinked, giving the other a small, sad smile and leaning down to stroke the merman's cheek. "Well, I'm here for you."

"Thank you..." Alfred allowed his eyes to half-close and leaned into the stroking.

"No need to thank me."

"I do thank you." Alfred smiled and suddenly pulled away, grabbing hold of Arthur's hand and yanking him into the water.

Arthur's eyes widened at the sudden feel of water surrounding him, and he sputtered a little. "A-Alfred- what?"

"Hah! You are mine!" Alfred pulled him off to the deeper end of the pool and left him there, swirling around. "Arthur?"

"Wha-" Quickly shrugging himself of his shirt, Arthur watched the other. "Hm? What is it?"

"Food?"

"Of course- it's still at the edge," Arthur replied, swimming over to where the fish was.

Alfred watched him go and waited. "How you- how you give it?"

Arthur paused. "How do you want me to?"

"You pick!"

"Heh, all right." Arthur grabbed the first piece of fish and threw it towards the merman.

Alfred immediately shot out of the water, catching the morsel in mid-air and landing with a resounding splash. When he emerged again, his eyes were dark and his teeth showed off their pointed ends when he smiled.

Arthur chuckled at this and proceeded to throw more of the fish in.

The merman went absolutely wild, leaping out of the water and once even clearing the pool entirely and sliding across the floor to the wall. But after that he only shook himself off and wriggled back into the water to continue his chase after the food.

Arthur found this amusingly cute, shaking his head a little as he threw more in and sitting back when he'd used all the fish up.

Pushing down his disappointment at the last fish, Alfred swam over to Arthur and nosed inquisitively around the human's legs.

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head at the other.

When Alfred surfaced he was still in hunting mode, though there was a confused look on his face. "No more? Positive no more?"

"Ah... There's more in the fridge, if you want it. I suppose I still don't know exactly what your diet should be."

"Diet?" Alfred tilted his head.

"Yes. How much you should eat and when and what."

"Ah. Do you eat fish?"

"Sometimes," Arthur answered with a shrug. "I have it cooked though. And I eat a lot of other things."

"Other things? What other things? I eat other things too?"

"Lots. Yes, I don't see why you can't try other foods."

"Food! Food!" Alfred grinned happily, his features slowly returning to normal.

Arthur chuckled and shook his head gently. "Do you want me to bring different food for you to try tomorrow?"

"Yes! Food!" Alfred wriggled happily in the water.

"All right, I will then."

"Okay!" The merman looked around and then heaved himself out of the water, sprawling on the edge of the pool and closing his eyes.

Arthur tilted his head at the other. "You all right there?"

"Yes. Want to be here not there." Alfred opened one eye and flashed him a smile.

"Fair enough." Arthur grinned back at the other.

"Come here." Alfred patted the spot next to him. "Come be here.

"All right, all right." Arthur chuckled, shuffling up to the other.

"Is... Is boy here today? Will he be?"

"No, he shouldn't be. It's just us."

"Just us..." Alfred repeated the phrase and decided he liked the sound of it. "Teach me more, Arthur?"

"Of course. Is there anything you want to know about?"

"Food!"

"Heh, of course." Arthur chuckled. "You like your food, don't you? Hmm, well there's the six main types of food: meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy, carbohydrates and sweets. Fish is meat, but you've got other meat too, from land animals..."

Alfred listened with rapt attention, occasionally asking Arthur to stop and explain a word or phrase- especially some of the more difficult ones like 'carbohydrates' and 'vegetables'. They didn't seem very pleasant. He also had to stop Arthur every so often so the human could dampen his tail with the pool water, which he did with a small smile and a chuckle before continuing.

The two of them stayed by that pool's edge far into the early hours of the morning, and only when Arthur had almost fallen asleep a second time did Alfred chase him off. He too was exhausted, but brimming with the knowledge of what he had learned during the day. And the pattern continued the next day, and the next, until three days later Arthur received two big packages outside his door.

The Brit eyed them eagerly as he signed them off and quickly brought them in, taking the packages to the pool room.

"Hmm?" Alfred perked up as he entered. "What are those?"

"Some new toys," Arthur replied, turning to the packages and grinning to himself. For a moment, he had a small debate over which to open first, but then decided to just go with the large, thin one. His grin widened as he slid the black object out of the box and turned to the merman proudly. "It's a TV!"

"A...TV?" Alfred frowned, looking at it with an unimpressed look on his face. "Is it...fun?"

"Of course. I mean, it depends who you are. You can watch things on it- people and stories developing. And it'd be another way for you to learn things."

"Oh, okay! So no toy but teaching!" Alfred wriggled happily and reached up out of the water to touch it.

Arthur's eyes widened and he quickly (but gently) moved Alfred's hand out of the way. "Ah, ah, no, you shouldn't touch it with wet hands." He hadn't thought of that, damn. "Just a second. Stay there," he said, rushing off to get a towel.

Pouting softly, Alfred sank back into the water.

Soon enough, the Brit arrived back, and he handed Alfred a towel, before digging around for the remote control. "Here, dry your hands. You control it with this," Arthur said, holding the control up. "But I need to set the TV up first."

"Okay!" Once he'd dried his hands Alfred picked up the remote and examined it. "Uhh, what's this?" he asked, pointing to one of the buttons.

"Hm?" Arthur peered over at the large, red button. "Oh, that turns it on."

"What is...it?"

"Oh." Arthur chuckled slightly. "It's a button. You press it."

"Oh." Upon further examination of the remote, Alfred happily started to press all of the buttons.

"Heh, well they're not going to do anything yet." Arthur shook his head. At least the other was having fun.

"Okay!" Alfred stopped and placed the remote down. He fully submerged himself and swam out into the middle of the pool to watch Arthur as he set the device up.

Arthur quickly mounted the television (of course he'd gotten a wall mounted one, with at least a little waterproofing), and then attached the cables, plugging them to the socket in the corner, then moving to the remote to set the channels up properly.

Alfred was watching him in awe, his eyes constantly flicking between the pictures moving across the screen and Arthur himself. When it was all set up Arthur made him dry his hands again and then handed him the remote, pointing out what all the buttons did. Alfred moved to the side of the pool closest to the TV and flicked through the channels until he had found a program that interested him. At one point he came across a nature program about the ocean, stopping and staring hungrily when he saw schools of fish on the screen.

Arthur watched, chuckling softly at Alfred's obvious fascination and awe, before tilting his head at the screen himself.

"Fish! Fish!" Alfred wriggled happily before settling down and concentrating on what the female voice was saying. The program was already half over, but in that half an hour he learned more than he thought he could. Occasionally he would still ask Arthur to clear something up for him, but for the most part he understood it all on his own.

Stretching as he stood, Arthur glanced back at the merman. "Do you want the rest of the items?" he asked.

"Oh, yes!" After turning the TV off, Alfred swam closer to the other box.

With a smile, Arthur opened another box, pulling out some more toys- little mechanical ones shaped like fish, some more weighted ones, some floaties and inflatables and hoops, floating basketball game- and arranging them on the floor for Alfred. "I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just got a few different things. I've never had the chance to use pool toys, so..."

"They are nice!" Alfred's eyes widened and he scrambled out of the pool to take a closer look. "Thank you, Arthur!" Shuffling his body forward again, the merman hugged Arthur around the legs.

Arthur blinked and chuckled at the other, reaching down to ruffle his hair. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like them."

"Thank you thank you!" Alfred tilted his head up, smiling broadly at both the gesture of getting the toys and the ruffling.

"Of course." Arthur smiled softly- Alfred really was rather cute, almost like a puppy. "Do you want to try any out, then?"

"Yes yes!" The merman detached himself and pointed to the basketball hoop. "That!"

"Heh, alright," the Brit replied, unfolding the hoop and setting it up on the water, before tossing Alfred the ball and pulling his own shirt off.

Alfred slid into the water with the ball in his hands, frowning as he ran his fingertips over the ridged surface. "Weird..." he mumbled.

"Hm? What is?"

"Feels weird..."

Arthur chuckled softly. "It so you can hold it easier without it slipping."

"Oh, okay." Alfred hurled the ball at the hoop, giving a small whine of disappointment when it didn't go in.

"Heh, no, come here." Arthur quickly jumped into the pool, giving a small shiver but quickly getting used to the temperature and retrieving the ball. "You've got to aim it, it's not about how powerfully you throw it," the Brit said, demonstrating.

Alfred eagerly splashed after the ball when it was thrown, and once he had it he surged back to Arthur's side. "Okay! I will try!" He took aim and threw it again- this time with more of the correct form, but still too much power.

Letting out an amused sigh, Arthur went and got the ball again and handed it to Alfred, waving him closer. "Almost."

"Almost..." Alfred huffed determinedly and raised his arm to throw it again.

"Ah, ah, come here..." Noting Alfred's posture, Arthur circled behind him, reaching his arms around the merman to his hands to correct it, holding the other's hands in place. "That should be better. You need to throw it more gently," he said quietly.

Alfred had stiffened when Arthur touched him, but now he found he didn't mind the contact in the slightest. Following the human's instructions he threw the ball to see it fall flat in front of the hoop. "No good..." he mumbled.

Arthur blinked, glancing across at Alfred so close and suddenly realizing his position. Turning red, he quickly moved off to get the ball and hoped the merman didn't mind it as he handed the ball back. "Don't worry about it. You were close- keep trying."

The merman frowned at the redness but didn't comment. He remembered Arthur saying before that redness meant awkwardness, so he figured that he must have done something wrong. He deflated a bit, but accepted the ball nonetheless. "Okay." He swam a bit away from Arthur before attempting to throw the ball again. This time if bounced off the rim of the basket.

"Ah, you almost had it this time!" Arthur swam closer, lifting the other's arm up a little. "If you shot it from there, it should have been fine."

"Thanks." Alfred quickly snatched his arm away, diving after the ball. He didn't want to make it any more awkward- that would be bad.

Arthur blinked, glancing at the other. "Wh- Alfred?"

"Hmm?" Alfred glanced at him when he had retrieved the basketball. "What is it, Arthur?"

"You-" Arthur shook his head. "Nothing. I thought something was wrong..."

"Well you had...red so I did awkward, but it is okay! Red is gone!" Alfred gave him a tentative smile.

Arthur looked at the other for a moment, then chuckled slightly. "Alfred, you didn't do anything wrong."

"But you had red..."

"I've told you before, it's not bad. Don't worry," Arthur said softly.

"But you said awkward... Awkward not good..."

"It's fine," Arthur said.

"Okay." Alfred looked down, feeling foolish. "Sorry."

"Hey, for what?" Arthur asked, frowning very slightly.

"Silly. I am silly. Sorry. Play more?"

"You're not..." Arthur sighed softly. "Come on, then. Let's see if you can throw this in."

"Okay." Alfred's heart sank terribly at the sigh, but he tried not to let it show. He positioned himself in the water. "Like this?"

"Sure, give it a try," Arthur replied with a small smile.

Not looking at him, Alfred threw the ball. It bounced off the rim again and the merman's shoulders slumped, but he dutifully retrieved the ball yet again. "You do it," he mumbled, passing it to Arthur.

"Oh, thanks." Arthur grabbed the ball, then looked back at Alfred and passed it back to him once he had shot and gotten the ball back again. "I've gone now, so go ahead."

"Me?" Alfred looked down at the ball in his hands. For some reason, he didn't want Arthur to see him miss again. "It is okay. Other toys now." He let the ball drop into the water and made his way to some of the other toys.

"Ah..." Arthur bit his lip.  _I guess he didn't like it..._  "All right, what do you want to do...?"

Looking over the toys critically, Alfred picked out the mechanical fish. "Food?" he asked, bringing one up to his nose. It didn't smell like food...

Arthur followed the other, looking over his shoulder. "Ah, no...it's mechanical. Um...not alive, but you see this button here?" He took one of the fish and put it in the water. "You press it, and..." The fish went shooting off.

Alfred's eyes widened and a moment later he took off in pursuit of the little toy. He caught it in seconds and returned it, still wriggling, to Arthur. "Is like real fish!"

"Yes." Arthur said with a chuckle. "Only don't eat it."

"Okay! No food!" Alfred shook his head and placed the fish carefully into Arthur's hands.

"Heh, well it's still yours to play with," Arthur replied, holding it out.

"Want to play with you..."

"Hey, that's fine..." Arthur gave him a small smile. "Why would I not play with you?"

"You said...yours to play with..."

"Well, yes. Because it is. But that doesn't mean you can't play with me..."

"Oh." Alfred gave him a small smile back. "Play then!"

Arthur threw the fish for him gladly and the two of them played with the little mechanical toys for a good half an hour before moving on to the other stuff. When all of the toys had been tested and tried out Alfred realized how hungry he had gotten and he approached the human imploringly and looking like a lost seal pup.

"Hm? What is it?" Arthur asked with a small frown.

"Foooooood..." Alfred moaned, bumping his nose gently against Arthur's side. "You said...different foods?"

"Ah!" Arthur gave a small laugh and nodded. "Of course. Wait just a moment."

"Okay!" The merman nodded and swam off, amusing himself with the mechanical fish while he waited.

A few minutes later, Arthur was back with a platter of various foods, and he placed it by the edge of the pool.

The scent wafted across the room and moments later Alfred caught whiff of it. The fishman froze in the water as he tried to figure out the smells, but after a moment he gave up and with a flick of his tail was over by the edge to see for himself. There was something that smelled like fish but different, some long green rods, a few red balls, some green slices, and some little dots of yellow. On the other side of the platter were a slice of white and a ball of something similar. Of the two, the ball smelled better.

Alfred picked up the fish-like smelling thing first, biting into it and finding it to have a pleasant taste. It was called 'chicken', Arthur told him. And the other things were apparently asparagus, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and sweet corn. The white things were bread and a scone. Alfred avoided the asparagus and bread, not finding the scents too appealing, but he tried the rest and liked it. He had eaten the scone last and now looked at Arthur with pleading eyes.

"More?"

Arthur blinked at him. "...M-More?" No, Alfred must have meant something else. "More of what?"

"More scone!"

"Uh..." Another blink. "Yes. Of course." Arthur stood, heading off to the kitchen in a daze- nobody had asked him for another scone in years.

Alfred blinked himself- what was with that weird reaction? Sure the...scone had been slightly crispy, but the flavors were good! He waited by the poolside and a long time passed before Arthur returned.

When he did, the Brit brought a plate with a couple more scones on it, sitting by the pool and holding the plate out to the other, slightly avoiding looking him in the eyes. "Here..."

Alfred picked up on the aversion and paused. "Arthur?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"Hm? Of course." Arthur offered him a small smile.

"Okay." Smiling back brightly, Alfred took one of the scones and started munching on it happily. "Good!"

Arthur stared at him, before his gaze dropped a little. "Thank you..."

"Thank you?" Alfred's brow furrowed and he reached up a hand to tilt Arthur's chin up. "You feel sad? What is wrong?"

"Ah- no- I just..." Arthur shifted slightly. "People don't usually like the food I make, for some reason..."

"No?" Alfred frowned. "They silly then."

"They... They're silly," Arthur repeated, reassuring himself. "Yes. They are."

"Yes!" Alfred reached for another scone, grinning as he bit into it. "Scones good!"

Arthur's eyes soon dropped again as he flushed slightly, fumbling with his thumbs. "Thank you," he said once more.

"Why thank me?" Alfred tilted his head. "No thank me. Feed more scones."

"I'm glad you like it." Arthur gave him a tiny smile. "What, you want more still?"

"Not now," Alfred said, gesturing to the still full plate before him. "But other time."

Arthur nodded slightly. "Okay."

"Yes!" Smiling happily, Alfred finished shoving the scone into his mouth and swam off, tossing the mechanical fish into the air.

Watching him, a smile grew on Arthur's face and he tilted his head, tossing the scone into his own mouth.

Alfred continued frolicking around in the water, new energy coursing through his body because of the food.

They sat like that a good while, Arthur occasionally joining the merman in his games before he had to excuse himself to work. He visited at the end of the day, however, and the next morning too.

But before Arthur could get too comfortable that next morning, the house phone rang with an anxious German on the other line.

"Ah- What is it?" Arthur replied haughtily, irritated at the interruption.

"No need for that tone, Kirkland. Can ya watch lil Fritz again tonight? I wanna take Mattie out on a nice sweet romantic date."

"Romantic?" Arthur raised a row and sighed. "At such short notice?"

"It ain't short notice!" Gilbert huffed. "I've been planning this awesome evening for weeks! I just need someone to take care of Fritz for a few hours this evening! That's the last thing to take care of and I know you're always free because your life is so boring so I could wait to ask you!"

Arthur snapped. "Fine. I'll look after your damn kid again. But if you ever interrupt me when I have plans, I swear to God, Beilschmidt, it will be the end of you. So give a man some bloody notice," he growled, eyes narrowing.

"Whoa whoa whoa, if you have plans just tell me, Kirkland. I'll find someone else..."

"...Like you said. My life's boring and I'm always free," Arthur said tonelessly.

Gilbert sighed as well and pinched his nose. "Are you sure? Just two seconds ago you were yelling about being busy."

"Jesus Christ- do you want me to or not?" The Brit said, clicking his tongue.

"No, no, I do. No need to get your panties in a twist. I'll bring him around at around five, okay?"

"Fine, sure."

"Okay. Thanks, Arthur." Gilbert hung up the phone and turned around to find Fritz trying to hide behind the doorway. "Hey there, little man." The albino crouched down and held his arms out to the boy. "Come here. You want to go to visit Artie tonight?"

Fritz started as his father noticed him, but quickly shuffled up to him and into his arms with a small smile. " _Ja_! Are you and  _papa_  going out?"

" _Ja_ , we are." Gilbert pressed a kiss to his forehead. "How much did you hear?"

"Um..." Fritz shifted slightly. "Most of it..."

"Oh Frederick..." Gilbert stroked his hair. "Well don't worry your awesome little head. You'll have a great time with Arthur, yeah?"

The boy bit his lip gently and nodded.

"Hey, hey, really. Your daddy wouldn't lie to you." Gilbert hugged him tightly. "Now what do you say we go get some ice cream?"

Blinking, Fritz then nodded again, a little more vigorously this time as he smiled.

"C'mon then pipsqueak." Gilbert heaved the boy up into his arms and left the apartment.

Alfred meanwhile was waiting patiently for Arthur to return to the pool room. He had seemed annoyed when he left, so Alfred was worried that something was wrong.

It wasn't long before Arthur got back, and he offered a weary smile to Alfred when he entered.

"Arthur?" Alfred frowned, coming up onto the shore of the pool. "Are you okay?"

"Ah? Sure. Just..." Arthur sighed slightly. "That was my neighbor on the phone. They want to bring their child around again."

"Oh. The one from last time?" Alfred tilted his head. "That is not bad..."

"No... But I won't be able to be with you as much this evening."

"It is okay. I will be here." Alfred gave him a soft smile.

"I know," Arthur replied, smiling slightly back. "Thank you."

"No thank me. I will wait for you. Any time."

Arthur's smile grew a little, and he watched the merman. "...Seems like I should teach you about contractions, hm?" He said after a few moments, sitting down by the edge of the pool.

"Con...contractions?" Alfred tilted his head and slipped back into the water. He moved closer to the human and rested his chin on Arthur's knees.

Within an hour, Alfred's confusion had dissipated and he felt that he had moved up a level in his language speaking. He hadn't learned all of the contractions as Arthur probably forgot a few, but he had taught the merman the basics.

"I'm happy, Arthur!"

Chuckling, Arthur ruffled the other's hair as congratulations. "Yes, well done," he said.

"Thanks, Arthur!" Alfred eagerly leaned into the ruffling. "You're a good teacher!"

Arthur blinked and smiled gently. "I'm glad you think so."

"I do! Now food! Can I have...fish? And scones?"

"Of course," Arthur replied with a smile, getting up to get the food.

"Yes!" Alfred threw himself into the pool, doing laps around the edge until the human returned.

"Here you are then," Arthur said, holding out a platter to the other. "Want me to throw the fish in?"

Nodding vehemently, Alfred perked up and readied himself, his eyes narrowing and his body practically wriggling from anticipation.

Arthur chuckled, before quickly throwing the bits of fish in.

The merman caught all of them in quick succession and gulped them down. Once the fish was gone he approached the Brit and held his hand out for a scone.

Grinning softly, Arthur handed one to the other.

"Thanks!" It was gone in seconds and Alfred asked for another.

"You really like them that much?" Arthur tilted his head as he gave another one, a small, happy smile on his face.

"Yes! They're different! Unique!"

Arthur blinked, opening his mouth before closing it again and simply shaking his head with a small laugh. "Well, I'm glad."

Alfred leaned back with a satisfied smile, happy that he had been able to make Arthur laugh so warmly. "Yes! Uhh, how long?"

"Hm? How long for what?"

"The boy... When will he be here?"

"Ah... This evening- probably around four or five? We've still got a while."

"Okay. Can we look at the tee vee?" Alfred asked, tilting his head.

Arthur raised his brows. "Oh? Of course," he answered.

"That's good!" Alfred dried his hands and grabbed the remote. "What do you want to watch?"

"Anything will do. I'm not the biggest fan of American TV," Arthur replied, pulling a face.

"American?" Alfred frowned. "What is American?"

"Oh- Well, um... This country - this bit of land - is America. So American is anything that comes from here," the Brit explained, biting his lip.

"Are you American?"

Arthur chuckled at this. "No, I'm English. From England."

"England? Sounds nice. Englaaaand..." Alfred rolled the name on his tongue and smiled.

"Heh, well I'm glad you think so."

"Me too!" With a final smile in Arthur's direction Alfred turned the TV on and flicked through the channels until he had come across BBC America. "This?"

Arthur smiled a little, nodding. "This is fine."

"Okay! ...He's has a funny name... Sherlock..." Alfred said, pursing his lips.

"Heh, I suppose he has. He's British too," Arthur replied with a small smirk.

"...What's British?"

Arthur blinked, then chuckled. "Maybe I should go get a map of the world," he said.

"Uhh, okay..." Alfred looked thoroughly confused by that point.

Shaking his head a little Arthur went and fetched an atlas, turning it to the first page with a world map and a picture of the Earth on it, and showed Alfred.

"Whoa..." Alfred's eyes widened and his head whipped back and forth as he took in both pages. "What's that?"

"This is the world that we live on- it's called Earth, and it's a sphere. And this is a map of it- it shows all the land and sea and the different countries."

"Sphere? But this is not sphere... It's flat!"

"Ah- it looks like it, yes. But it's a really, really big sphere. Imagine you were as big as... Hm, one of your scales- the Earth would be as big as this room. Probably bigger. So because it's so big in comparison to you, you don't notice it and think it's flat." Arthur grinned smugly- he was never the best at science, and teaching Alfred like this made Arthur feel a whole lot smarter on the subject than he actually was.

"Ohhh." Alfred didn't understand it fully, but he felt he had the basic concept. "So what's America and England and British?"

"They're the countries. Look, here," Arthur said pointing each country out. "This is America, where we are. And this is an area called Britain. This part of it's England, where I'm from."

"Oh. I'm American!" Alfred declared happily.

"Yes." Arthur chuckled.

"So what are these?" The merman gestured to all the other countries.

Arthur went through all the other nations, one continent at a time- and though he didn't quite remember  _all_  of them, he got most of them down and Alfred lapped up the information. The merman didn't understand all of it either, though he thought he had it down.

"I'm American!" he said happily at the end of Arthur's little lesson.

"Yes, you said," Arthur replied with a chuckle.

"I am!" The merman looked back at the TV screen to find the Sherlock guy still there.

"Yes, yes. You still want to watch this hm?"

"I do! Watch with me?"

"I'd be glad to," the Brit said with a small smile.

"Thank you!" Alfred settled back and rested his head against Arthur's leg as he watched, happy to just spend time with the human.

Arthur smiled softly down at the other, before turning his attention to the screen. He thought the program was just that little bit nicer with the warmth on his knee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna take a loooong time for them to get together, so don't get your hopes up!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So I know it's been a bit slow so far, but things are gonna start picking up real soon~

Once that episode was over another started and they watched that one as well, Alfred not moving from his position. But by then it was five and the doorbell rang.

Starting, Arthur quickly looked up. "Ah- Alfred, I've got to go..." he said quietly.

"Oh..." Alfred looked up at him and nodded. "Go be with the boy."

"All right." Smiling, Arthur reluctantly stood and left to go answer the door.

Gilbert was standing there in a suit, Fritz clutching his hand tightly. The albino looked up when the door opened. "Ah, Arthur."

"Evening," Arthur replied with a nod, giving the younger boy a small smile as well.

"Here he is, then. We should be back around nine. Thanks, Arthur." Gilbert shifted. "Means a lot that you keep doing this for us."

Arthur let out a small huff. "Well, it better. Just... Really, please give some notice next time. I won't always be free."

Fritz flinched softly and pulled his hand from Gilbert's. He quickly said good bye to the man and stepped into Arthur's apartment.

"So, see you later, then?" Arthur glanced down at Fritz, then back up at the adult. "...Have a good time."

"We will! Have fun with Fritz!" Gilbert waved then strode off to the elevator.

With that, Arthur closed the door and turned to the boy. "So, is there anything you want to do?"

Fritz stayed staring at the floor. "Read..." he mumbled.

Arthur frowned slightly tilting his head. "All right... Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"I'm okay, thank you."

"Okay. Come on, then."

Fritz followed him to their usual room and settled down quietly with the book he had been reading the previous time. He curled up on the chair instead of just sitting on it and was quieter with even turning the pages more so than usual.

It was obvious to Arthur that something was going one - he wasn't an idiot after all. After a while, he decided to speak up. "...Are you all right, Fritz?"

The boy's hands tightened on the pages. "Am I...bothering?" he finally asked in a quiet, meek voice.

"Bothering?" Arthur frowned slightly. "No, of course not. Whyever would you be?"

"Well...  _Vati_  said you were yelling about me coming..."

Arthur blinked. "Tch, your father has no tact..." he muttered to himself, before leveling out his volume again. "You're not a bother at all. Your father is more of a bother - calling me up with no warning - but it's always a pleasure to have you here. I'd just prefer if I had been given a little bit of notice before hand, in case I wasn't free."

"Oh..." A tiny smile came to Fritz's face then. "Sorry for  _Vati_ , then."

"Heh." Arthur smiled a little back. "It's fine."

"Were you not free?"

"No, I was..."

"Okay." Instantly relaxing, Fritz uncurled and resumed reading with a small smile on his face. A few minutes later though, he looked up again. "If you need to check something I'll stay here."

"Ah, right-" How had the boy known? Was it obvious that Arthur was itching to go see Alfred? "A-Actually, I have some food in the oven, yes," he said, standing.

"Okay. I won't move, promise." Fritz lowered his gaze back into the pages of the book.

Arthur nodded and headed to the door, ignoring the fact that the kitchen was in the opposite direction. He quickly went to the pool room once he was out, footsteps soft against the wooden floors.

Alfred was still watching the TV, though he had switched to another show- one involving humans going out into the 'wild' to survive. His tail was swishing softly and while he was interested in the program, it was different without Arthur there. When the door opened, his head snapped towards it and he smiled when he saw the Brit.

"Arthur!" he cried loudly as Arthur entered.

"Heh, hello," Arthur replied, giving the other a smile in return as he stepped forwards. "Though not so loud- Fritz is still here."

"Oh. Sorry." Alfred had the grace to look sheepish.

"Don't worry about it." By now, Arthur had reached the edge of the pool and sat down there. "How are you doing?"

"Okay. I'm watching TV. Miss you..."

"I know. I'm sorry. Me too." Arthur smiled slightly at the other.

"You... You miss me?"

"I did, yes."

"I'm glad!" Alfred reached up and hugged Arthur tightly, forgetting that he was still wet from the pool.

Arthur blinked, jumping a little from the slight cold, and then chuckled a little. "Heh, well I'm here for a little bit now," he said, patting the top of the merman's head gently.

"Thank you!" Letting go, Alfred sat down on the edge of the pool, his tail hanging in the water.

No need to thank me," Arthur replied, shuffling a little closer.

"I do..." Alfred mumbled as he leaned his head against Arthur's shoulder. Arthur had saved him from a cruel and terrible fate, so of course Alfred had to thank him. The merman would mentally spend the rest of his days thanking this wonderful human that cared so much about him.

Arthur looked across at the other, tilting his head and smiling slightly. "Well then, I suppose you're welcome."

"Yes!" Alfred tilted his own head up so their noses were inches apart. "How long will you stay?" he asked, his eyes wide and pleading.

"Ah..." Arthur shifted very slightly. "About ten minutes, probably...?" As much as he could get away with.

"Okay." The blue eyes lit up as Alfred smiled. Ten precious minutes.

Arthur blinked, his eyebrows rising slightly at the sight of the other looking so glad at this. "...S-So is there anything you want to do?"

"Be with you..." Alfred whispered.

"I- All right..." Arthur smiled slightly. "But is there anything you want to do with me?"

"Stay with you. Tell me...about the boy."

"Heh. Okay..." Arthur sat back a little. "Well he's very young- about ten years old. Intelligent little bugger, and the strangest mix of shy and upfront."

"Bugger? What's a bugger?"

"Oh- Uh, it's a curse word- usually for a person. It's technically not a good thing, but I don't mean it like that..."

"Oh. What do you mean it like?"

"Well...in a good way. I like it."

Arthur liked it? "Am I a bugger?"

"Uhm..." Arthur frowned slightly in confusion- well, he was the one who confused himself. "I... I suppose you're a bit of a silly bugger...?" he said.

"Silly bugger? That's good?"

"Well... Yes, I mean it in a good way..." Arthur bit his lip- he didn't really know how to explain the intricacies of British cursing and insults, much less to someone who wouldn't even understand the explanation.

"That's good! You're a silly bugger too!"

Arthur's eyes widened. "I-I- no- Alfred..."

"What?" Alfred frowned. "You said it's good thing..."

"Y-Yes, well...it is when I say it. It depends on who you are and how you say it. But most people would probably take it as offensive," Arthur attempted to explain.

"Oh." Alfred pouted. "I take it as offensive!" he declared, just to see what Arthur would do.

"Wha- You don't even know what it means," the Brit stuttered out.

"That means you don't like it, right?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"Heh, it's okay Arthur, I'm joking." They had used the word on the program he'd been watching- one of the men on it had said something he hadn't meant. The merman slipped off the edge of the pool and into the water with barely a sound. "You go back now?" he asked softly.

Arthur blinked, shifting slightly. "Oh... I probably should, yes..."

"Okay. I will see you later!"

"All right." Arthur reluctantly stood. "See you."

Alfred's only response was a stream of bubbles and a swish of his tail. When Arthur was gone he went back to watching the television, a mechanical fish clutched in his arms.

Fritz meanwhile looked up as Arthur entered. He had heard that initial shout when Arthur had entered the pool room- and he had known it was the pool room because of the accompanying splashes. But why didn't Arthur say he had someone over? "...Is the food okay?"

"What?" Arthur frowned slightly, but then remembered what he had said earlier. "Yes, it's almost done, in fact. I just took it out to cool."

"That's good." Fritz gave him a small smile. "What did you make?"

"...Scones." That wasn't a  _complete_  lie, he did make some scones for Alfred earlier...

"Oh, nice." Fritz smiled and focused back on the book, the silence stretching between them for the remainder of their time.

It wasn't long until there was a knock at the door, though it seemed like ages to Arthur, impatient as he was to get back to Alfred.

Gilbert was leaning against the doorframe. "Hey there, Kirkland. How was Fritz?"

"Good as gold, and better," Arthur replied, raising a brow in amusement. "I take it the date went well?"

"It went real well, yeah." Gilbert flushed softly and smiled. "And I'm glad old Fritz was good for ya."

"He was. Although maybe letting him overhear your phone conversations is a tad idiotic."

"What?" Gilbert cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"He thought he was bothering me. Apparently you gave that impression."

"W-  _Scheiße_." Gilbert pinched his nose. "I'll explain it to him. Call him here?"

"Yes, yes," Arthur replied with a small chuckle. "Fritz! Your father's here to pick you up," he called.

"Coming!" Fritz set the book down on the chair and raced to the door, slowing down when Arthur and Gilbert came into sight. "Thanks for looking after me, Arthur." The boy gave the man a soft smile and moved to Gilbert's side.

"Not at all," Arthur replied with a small smile of his own. "Have a good night, you two."

"Night, Kirkland." Gilbert hefted Fritz into his arms and walked away.

After closing the door, Arthur hurried straight back to the pool room, eager to see his friend.

By then Alfred had shut off the TV and was laying half out of the pool, his eyes half closed and his chest rising and falling steadily.

"Alfred?" Arthur frowned slightly, coming forward.

"Oh! Arthur!" Alfred immediately perked up, a broad smile coming to his face. "I was thinking. I didn't hear you come," he explained, his cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment that he hadn't even noticed his friend come in.

"Ah, well, hello," Arthur replied, smiling slightly in relief that there was nothing wrong. "Thinking? About what?"

"...Stuff."

"Right..." Arthur raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Anything more specific?"

"...You."

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening a little. "Me? R-Really?" His cheeks turned a little pink, though he knew there was nothing behind that, really. Alfred could have been thinking about  _anything_  to do with him, and just not be able to explain it.

Alfred's smile faded a bit at the redness. So he had made it awkward again. "N-Not gay, don't worry!" he quickly said.

"Um..." Arthur stared at him and shifted slightly. "I-It's fine, I'm not worried..."

Alfred paled. "Sorry!" He'd only made it worse, hadn't he? "I'm sorry, just...pay no attention!" He slipped into the water and hunched over. "H-How was the boy?"

"Wha- Hey, Alfred..." Arthur bit his lip and moved closer. "Never mind that, what about you?"

"I am fine," Alfred mumbled.

"No you're not- look at me!" Arthur said, crouching in front of the other.

"I- I am. I am fine." Alfred kept his head down.

"Look at me, Alfred!" Reaching down, Arthur's hands cupped the merman's cheeks, bringing his face up so their eyes could meet.

Alfred's eyes were sad. "Why...?"

"Just... Tell me what's wrong."

"I made it bad again..." Alfred muttered. "I'm sorry..." He lowered his gaze and pulled his face from Arthur's hands.

"No... How did you? Nothing's bad at all," Arthur replied, frowning.

"What is said... It was awkward..."

"Wha- not really... I mean, it was a little, but that's all right. There's nothing bad."

"But you- You got red..."

"Alfred..." Arthur chuckled slightly as he understood. "That's not always a bad thing. Emotions aren't as simple as that, they're not always 'good' or 'bad'- you know, you were a bit red earlier, too. It's not that I felt awkward, I was just a little surprised. I'd tell you if it was bad, okay?"

"You will?" Alfred started to look hopeful. "Promise?"

"Of course," the Brit replied with a small smile.

"Okay. Thanks..." Alfred slowly moved closer to Arthur.

"Hm? Not at all." Arthur smiled more, tipping his head.

"Sorry, Arthur..." Alfred pulled Arthur into the pool and clung to him, wrapping his entire body around the Brit.

Eyes widening, Arthur tensed for a second, the cool waves washing against him, but then he relaxed and hugged back. At least he wasn't in his Sunday best. "It's fine, Alfred..."

"Are you sure?" Alfred shoved his nose against Arthur's neck, happy that he could hug the man again.

"Of course," Arthur said with a chuckle. "Though you're getting my clothes wet."

"Sorry." Though Alfred really wasn't that sorry at all. He was there, with Arthur, and he was so so happy. "They will dry..."

"Heh, I know. I don't mind," the Brit murmured.

"That's good..." Alfred held him for a moment longer before pulling away and swimming off a bit, his scales occasionally reflecting the dim moonlight that filtered in through the windows. "Tell me now. About the boy."

"You really want to know? He was good- usually very polite when he comes. He can be a bit mischievous though."

"Oh. He sounds...nice." Alfred smiled. "Did you tell him hi from me?"

Arthur gave him a small smile back. "Of course." He hadn't said exactly where the hello had come from, but it had been 'from his friend'.

"Thanks, Arthur." Alfred smiled, splashing around a bit. "How long will you stay?"

"I can stay until I need to go to bed," Arthur replied gladly.

"So... So let's play with the hoop? I practiced!" Alfred gladly chased after the ball and grabbed it, a hopeful look on his face as he returned to Arthur's side.

"Of course, if that's what you want."

"I want this, yes," Alfred said, tossing him the ball.

Arthur quickly caught it and quirked a brow. "Me first, then?"

"Yes!"

Arthur chuckled, grinning slightly, before aiming and chucking the ball in the hoop.

"Nice! That was good, Arthur!" Alfred cheered happily before diving to get the ball.

"Heh, thanks. Now you."

"Okay." Alfred gripped the ball tightly and after a moment threw it, but due to his nerves - why was he getting so nervous about showing Arthur that he could  _shoot a basket_? - he undershot and the ball bounced off the rim. The merman drooped and sighed sadly.

"Hey, you almost had it then!" Arthur smiled softly to himself. "Try again, hm?"

"No, you go now..."

Huffing slightly, Arthur crossed his arms. "I refuse to have another go until you've got it in."

"No! Take too long!" Alfred had lost his confidence and enthusiasm to show Arthur what he could do- they'd be there all night at this pace. "You get it in!"

"W-Well, I noticed that, thank you!" Arthur said, turning a little red as he frowned at Alfred. "I won't always get it in, you know..."

"Really?" Alfred swam over to him, trying to ignore the redness. Arthur hadn't said anything. "I thought..."

"Hm? You thought what?" Arthur tilted his head a little.

"Thought you would..." Alfred gave him a sheepish smile.

Arthur shook his head, chuckling a little. "Well, I won't. So, your turn now?" he asked, retrieving the ball and holding it out.

"Are you sure?" Alfred tilted his head, hesitantly reaching out to take the ball.

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Okay." Alfred took the ball and aimed it. Upon release, he watched with bated breath. It circled the rim slowly and then dropped through the net.

"Ah- You got it in! Well done!" Arthur said, giving the other a small smile, glad at his improvement.

"I did! I got it in!" Alfred surged towards Arthur, scooping him up into his arms and spinning him around in celebration.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, but chuckled. "Yes, you did."

After a moment, Alfred realized what exactly he was doing and set Arthur down, a small flush across his cheeks. "I did. I'm happy, Arthur!"

Arthur did raise a brow at the blush, but decided not to say anything about it. "I knew you could do it. Well done."

"Thank you, Arthur!" After giving the human another quick smile, Alfred retrieved the ball and gave it to the Brit. "Here!"

"Hm?" Arthur tipped his head. "You want me to go now again?"

"Yes! Unless... Unless you go?" Alfred was pretty sure he was using 'unless' correctly.

"Unless? Unless I go where? I'm staying here..." Arthur frowned slightly in confusion.

"Unless you go sleep..." Alfred mumbled, but he was happy that Arthur was staying with him.

"It's fine, I still have time," Arthur said with a small smile.

"Ah! Okay!" The merman happily held out the ball to him. They kept playing, alternating turns and Alfred scoring a basket more and more frequently. Finally Arthur bid him good night, and later Alfred watched some more TV before drifting off. The next morning he woke up ravenous and was swimming around restlessly as he waited for Arthur to appear, his features already shifted to predator mode.

Once Arthur was dressed, he came into the pool room with the usual platter of food, sitting next to the pool as he called out to Alfred.

The merman immediately perked up and shot towards Arthur, circling the water before the man and waiting for the fish.

Chuckling, the Brit took a piece and held it out teasingly, before finally throwing it over the pool.

Alfred had nearly snapped his fingers off, but once the fish was thrown he splashed after it, sending waves of water in all directions. When he emerged again, licking his lips, a low growl emanated from his throat as he looked over at Arthur.

Arthur blinked, shifting back a little at the intense gaze. "A-Ah...here, there's more..." he said hesitantly, quickly flinging more food into the pool. Alfred wasn't going to hurt him, of course (probably not), but still, it was with slightly tentative hands that he let the fish go.

The growl turned to a more pleased one and Alfred dived after the fish, snapping all of it up within the span of a minute. Then the merman set his sights on Arthur again- more specifically the bucket still in Arthur's hands- and slowly closed in.

"A-Alfred... You want more...?"

Alfred gave a short nod.

Holding out the bucket to him, Arthur gave a small smile. "Go on, then."

Said bucket was out of his arms a moment later and in the water instead, Alfred diving with it to get the remainder of the fish. When all the food was gone he carted the bucket around the bottom of the pool, as if searching for any last remaining scraps, before giving up and slowly emerging. His teeth were back to normal and his eyes slowly brightened to sky blue again as he glanced at the Brit.

Though he didn't admit it to himself, Arthur was a little relieved that the other was back to normal, and his smile grew a little. "Well, good morning then."

"Morning!" Alfred chirped back, swimming forward with the now slightly dented bucket in his hands. He looked down at it for a moment and then back up to Arthur, his cheeks pinked slightly with embarrassment. "...Sorry."

"Heh, don't worry about it..."

"Okay!" Alfred pulled himself up onto the edge of the pool and leaned back, body propped up by his hands. "Arthur?"

"Yes?" Arthur blinked and tilted his head.

"The person on the television was reading a book to someone. Can you read a book to me?" Alfred asked, tilting his own head to mirror the Brit. He had long ago noticed that Arthur spoke differently than most of the people on TV (except for the Sherlock guy), and the merman found that he really liked the differences in the voices and felt that he could listen to Arthur speak for hours without getting bored, even if the Brit wasn't teaching him anything.

Eyebrows rising in surprise, Arthur gave a pleased nod. "Of course I can! Is there any type of story you think you like...?"

"Heroes! Story with heroes!" Alfred immediately called out.

"Heh, all right. One moment." Arthur said, before quickly heading off to find a book.

"Okay!" Alfred wriggled a bit in place as he waited, and if he had legs he probably would have been kicking them in excitement.

Within a few minutes, Arthur was back with a story and he sat by the merman to begin.

"What story? What story?"

"Heh, well it's about a dragon and a knight," Arthur said proudly.

"That's cool!" Alfred's eyes lit up. "Did you make it?"

"Well, um... Yes," Arthur replied sheepishly.

"Like write the words?" Alfred's eyes widened.

"Y-Yes..."

"That's awesome!" The merman clapped. "Read it! Read it!"

And so Arthur began to read the first chapter, the words weaving intricately as he spoke, occasionally pausing to explain a word to Alfred.

Alfred listened to him with wide eyes, drinking up the story with eager ears. He really liked the story, and especially the growing relationship between the dragon and the knight.

After a couple of chapters, Arthur thought he'd read enough and he closed the book, placing it by his side. He'd left it on a cliffhanger, of course- no sense stopping it any other time- and the two character's friendship had just started to grow.

"End?" Alfred looked at him with wide eyes. "That's the end?"

Arthur chuckled softly. "No, there's more. But there's a lot more- I'd be here for hours if I read the whole thing. And I don't want you to get bored."

"Not bored! It's a good story! More, please!" Alfred begged.

"You really want more now?" Arthur raised a brow.

"Yes! Need to know! What happens next?"

Arthur watched him for a moment before sighing softly and picking the book up again, though there was a small smile on his face.

"If you don't want to you don't have to..." Alfred quickly told him, noticing the sigh.

"No no, it's fine," Arthur replied.

"You sure?"

"Of course."

"Okay! Read more!" Alfred scooted closer to the Brit and leaned against him.

Arthur continued reading, glancing down at Alfred every so often, until he finished the book.

By then most of the day had gone by and it was past five. Alfred only realized that something was wrong when he noted the position of the sun. "Arthur!" he cried, his previous contentment gone. "It was a nice story and I liked it, but your work!"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked and looked at the time. "A-Ah, right..."

"I'm sorry! I made you stay... But... Can you leave the book?"

"Yes, of course," Arthur replied, a small smile forming on his face. "It's okay."

"Thank you!" Alfred dried his hands before opening the cover. "I want to... To try read it."

Arthur's smile grew. "Well...good luck, then. If you need any help, just ask."

"Okay!" Even though Arthur wouldn't be there to check up on him until the late evening, but if anything, if Alfred got stuck he would simply stop reading and watch TV.

With a small smile and a nod, Arthur was off.

Alfred watched him leave before turning his nose back into the book. Arthur had gone over the alphabet and letters with him before, but most of his teaching was mouth to mouth and words. At first the merman struggled, but he still recalled most of the details of the story from when Arthur told it to him, so he was able to put bits and pieces together. Of course, it got a bit easier as he went along, though the merman still felt like his head was going to split from all the concentration.

After two hours of reading, Alfred closed the book and flopped back into the water, relaxing and closing his eyes. He remained that way, motionless and belly up, until Arthur returned later that evening.

"Hello, Alfred," Arthur said, smiling at the other when he came in.

"Hello!" Alfred's eyes snapped open and he fluidly rolled over onto his back while still keeping his head over the water. "Did you work?"

"Of course I did," the Brit replied with a chuckle, sitting in his usual spot by the edge of the pool.

"That's good!" Not unlike an otter, Alfred swam closer to Arthur and rested his chin on his knees. "How long you stay for?"

"I'll stay for a couple of hours, until I get tired."

"Okay! Don't get tired soon!" Alfred told him with a cheeky grin.

"Heh, I'll try not to," Arthur replied, shaking his head and ruffling the other's hair.

"You better!" The merman closed his eyes and leaned into the ruffles, groaning in pleasure. "I read some of the book..."

"Oh? You did?"

"Yes! First two chapters! Then my head hurt so I stopped."

"Ah- well, well done," Arthur replied happily. "Did you do anything else?"

"Lay there. Head feels better now." Happy that Arthur was happy Alfred wriggled a bit, hoping to get Arthur to chuckle. He really liked the sound of Arthur's soft laughs.

"That's good," Arthur replied with a soft smile, laughing slightly at the other's antics.

"Ah!" Alfred brightened up even more at the laughs, practically glowing.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, raising a brow and tilting his head.

"You laughed..."

"W-Well...yes..." Arthur chuckled again.

"Yes yes laugh more! It's pretty!"

"P-Pretty?" Arthur couldn't help another small laugh from escaping his lips. "You really think so?"

"Yes!" Alfred smiled at him. "I like when I make you laugh."

Arthur flushed slightly, but smiled back at the other. "Ah- well, thank you, heh..."

This time, Alfred grew content at the flush. It was a good red, he sensed. Arthur was happy. The merman also grew hungry, and he opened his mouth. "Food?"

"Ah, right, I haven't fed you in a while..." Arthur quickly grabbed the tray that he left on a counter near the door and held the food out to the other.

"Thank you!" Alfred devoured the fish, but he was pleased to see a scone there as well- probably dessert. "What did you eat?"

"I had a roast dinner. It's only traditional on Sundays, after all."

"Sunday? Is that like Tuesday and Thursday?"

"Yes! It's the last day of the week, so I usually have a roast dinner."

"Oh. What are the days in order?"

Arthur sat back a little. "Well, you've god the weekdays- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday- and then the weekend- Saturday and Sunday."

"So..." Alfred counted them quickly. "Seven days?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Alfred nodded contently. "What's your favourite day?"

"Oh? I'm not really sure I have a favourite... I do like Sundays though."

"Why?"

"It's a relaxing day- less work. And a nice dinner." Arthur shrugged. "Tuesdays are good too."

"Why Tuesdays?"

"I've no idea. I just like them."

"Ah. What day did you buy me?"

Arthur bit his lip slightly at the phrasing, thinking back as he tried to remember the day. "I'm fairly sure it was a Saturday."

"Then Saturday is my favourite day!"

"Wha-" Arthur shook his head and chuckled. "Just for that? That's silly," he said.

"No! You saved my life!" Alfred insisted.

"Alfred..." Arthur gave him a small smile. "Well, fine then. If that's your favourite day."

"You did..." Alfred's voice grew soft. "You saved me. If someone else had...brought me..." The merman lowered his gaze. "I could be...not alive anymore."

Face softening, Arthur reached out and brought the other's face up, giving him a gentle smile. "Well I'm glad you are alive and with me." Arthur had been lonely and before, whether he admitted it or not, but now he had someone who relied on him, and on whom he could always rely on to be there, waiting for him, right in the pool room.

"I'm glad I'm alive too." Alfred leaned his face into Arthur's hands and gave the human a small smile in return. "I'm glad I met you."

"Heh. Me too," Arthur replied quietly.

"Really? You're happy you met me?" Alfred couldn't think of higher praise, and he did a loop under the water out of victory at hearing the words.

"Of course I am." The Brit said, blinking and chuckling warmly at Alfred's reaction.

"I am, I a-" Alfred froze suddenly as a soft but shrill ringing noise was heard from one of the other rooms. "A-Arthur?"

Arthur looked up sharply. "Ah- Shit- I'm sorry, it's the phone, I should probably go get it..." Standing up, Arthur looked down at the other apologetically, "I'll be right back, Alfred."

"No, it's okay! Work is important!" Alfred gave him a small wave and watched him hurry off.

After about ten minutes and a little heated exchange, Arthur came back in, massaging the crook of his nose as he glance down at his mobile- 17 texts and emails from senior members of the corporation and even a couple of missed phone calls. Damn.

"Arthur?" Alfred frowned, noticing the Brit's facial expression and posture. "Are you okay?" He moved to the side of the pool closest to the man and leaned his chin against the edge of it.

"Yeah..." Arthur sighed slightly and glanced at the merman, biting his lip. "I'm sorry, Alfred... I have to go back to England on a business trip for a couple of days. An author wants to use us to publish her book- she's used us before and she's one of our biggest sellers, so I have to go speak with her directly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, will Alfred be able to survive on his own?


	6. Chapter 6

"Back to...England?" Alfred thought back to when Arthur had shown him the atlas. "Isn't that far? You're leaving me?"

"Yes, yes." Closing his eyes, the Brit rubbed at his forehead. "But I have to go. Tomorrow morning. I'm so sorry..."

A small whine emerged from Alfred's throat. "When tomorrow morning?"

"Early...probably before you're up, at about six. I-I'll make sure to leave you plenty of food, of course, and make sure you'll be alright when I'm gone!"

The merman, however, still looked devastated. He didn't want Arthur to leave. A few days? How long was that, exactly? Alfred couldn't imagine not seeing Arthur for so long. They'd only been living together for a couple of weeks, but already Arthur was a constant in Alfred's life, always there, always kind and caring.

But suddenly he wouldn't be. And Alfred was a bit scared. He'd seen on TV that break-ins happened often. What if someone came when Arthur wasn't there? What if he was taken away? Alfred trembled a tiny bit. He lowered his head and allowed himself to sink beneath the water level, shutting out most of the sounds in the room.

"A-Alfred..." Arthur sighed softly, massaging his temples yet again. Christ, they could have at least given him a few days notice...but this was business. "I'm sorry. But you'll be fine, I promise. Please come back up and talk to me..."

But Alfred, still whirling in his thoughts, barely heard the vibrations of Arthur's voice beneath the water.

Running his hand through his hair, Arthur watched the other for a moment, and sat at the edge of the pool, wondering how to keep Alfred happy over the two-day period.

Alfred did notice him sitting, and he slowly drifted over, allowing his tail to brush against Arthur's foot.

Arthur jumped slightly at the light touch, glancing up at the other. "Alfred..."

"Hmm?" At that Alfred did raise his head, then plopping it down onto Arthur's lap. He stared up at the human with wide, sorrowful eyes.

Arthur sighed, then dropped his hand to Alfred's head, stroking it softly. "I really do apologize... but I have to go. I don't want to either..."

"I don't want you to go..." Alfred whimpered. His eyes filled with tears and spilled over onto his cheeks. "I need you..." Okay so maybe that line had been said by a lady to her lover in a TV show, but Alfred still felt similarly.

Arthur's eyes saddened at the sight, and he caressed the other's cheek. "Alfred, Alfred... You'll be fine, honestly. It's only a couple of days."

"H-How long?!" Alfred's shoulders shook with his quiet sobs, but he didn't take his eyes away from Arthur's face, no matter how blurry his vision got.

"I'll be back two days later," Arthur said, offering a tiny smile as he wiped the tears away with his thumb.

Alfred only sobbed harder, closing his eyes and tilting his head down into Arthur's hands.

"It'll be all right. I'll leave you plenty of food and things to do- and I'll be back before you know it." Leaning down, Arthur pressed a small kiss to the merman's forehead, like a parent would to a child, and ruffled his hair a little. "Don't worry."

Stiffening slightly at the kiss out of surprise, Alfred raised his head a little. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay-" Alfred rushed forward as much as he could, wrapping his arms around Arthur's middle.

"Ah-" Eyes widening in surprise, Arthur chuckled a little and hugged back gently, still stroking the other's hair.

"I'll miss you a lot, Arthur..." Alfred whispered to him.

Arthur shook his head. "I'm fine. The important thing is that you have enough while I'm gone..."

"I'll be okay." Alfred smiled. "Go, Arthur."

"No- I need to sort out your food and everything!" Arthur sighed softly. "I don't need to pack my bags- it's only a two-day trip, and I don't need much. And I don't really fancy coming home to a ravenous merman," he said, raising a brow and smirking very slightly.

Alfred blushed softly at that- he knew he probably didn't look too nice when he was hungry. "Okay..."

"Heh. Well, I should have enough in the cupboards... I'll cut some up for you now and bring it here in the morning, so it's as fresh as possible."

"Sounds good!" Alfred's tears had dried by then and he was looking happier.

So, with a small smile Arthur headed to the kitchen.

And the next morning when Alfred woke up, Arthur was gone. The merman called for him and waited, but then he realized that Arthur must have already left. There were three buckets of fish by the poolside, and a strange smell emanated from some of his toys too. The first half of the first day, he simply moped around and still waited for Arthur to come in through the door. But it didn't happen. It wasn't a joke or anything, and Alfred was really alone.

He cried for a bit then, chewing halfheartedly on some fish. Eventually he turned on the TV and went on a watching binge, flicking through channels and shows every few hours. He came across one that showed a bunch of burly men in their natural habitats- in the forest, cutting wood. And getting girls. Reality TV, the channel called it. But Alfred also noticed that they were acting completely different than he was.

The more TV Alfred watched that day, the more he realized that his behaviour was stupid, and even childish. Jumping up and down?  _Wriggling_? What was he, a pet? He frowned as he thought more upon that.

That night he stayed up the entire night just watching TV and absorbing cultural behaviors. Consequently, he slept in until after noon. Two buckets of fish were devoured and he played with his toys a bit before watching even more. There wasn't much else he could do. And so the cycle continued until Arthur returned.

The Brit came in pleased, though exhausted and missing his friend dearly. He'd grown so used to the merman being there, almost relying on his jovial greeting each time he entered the room, and the loneliness that had dissipated had slowly started to seep in again on his little trip. So glad was he to be back, in fact, that instead of flopping down on the bed in his tiredness, he headed straight to the pool room.

Alfred perked up when the door opened and his head turned to Arthur's form. "Arthur!" He smiled and swam over, though he also tried to be slightly more mature about it.

"Ah... Hello, Alfred," Arthur replied, sighing slightly as he smiled.

"Hello!" Alfred moved up to the edge and looked up at him. "How are you?"

"Ah... Good, but I am tired." Arthur gave a small frown as he sat by the edge. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! I missed you..." Alfred pulled himself up next to the man.

"I know. I missed you too... But hey, I'm back now," Arthur replied with a soft smile.

"You are!" Alfred's smile broadened as he glanced at Arthur, and he slung his arm around the Brit's shoulder. "I'm glad ya are."

Arthur blinked in surprise at the action and looked back across at Alfred, but his smile just grew as he looked across. "...Yes. Me too."

"I learned a lot while you were gone. Like 'gonna' and 'wanna'! They're cool words!" Alfred said proudly, leaning more against the human.

Arthur rolled his eyes with a small chuckle. "What, from the TV?"

"Yes!" Alfred suddenly pouted. "I also learned that when you roll your eyes you're being mean."

"Wha- How am I?!"

"You rolled your eyes," Alfred said flatly, raising an eyebrow at the Brit.

"That- I'm not mean!" Arthur replied indignantly.

"Heh, sure you're not." Alfred gave a soft snicker.

Sputtering a little bit, Arthur's cheeks darkened slightly- he wasn't so used to seeing Alfred like this. "Well I'm not!"

The merman laughed quietly again- he liked this attitude! He could still be himself, but also different, and it came pretty easily to him. "Whatever ya say, Arthur."

The Brit simply opened his mouth, before closing it again and huffing.

"I win! America one, England zero!" Grinning broadly, Alfred nudged him.

"What the hell makes you think you win?" Arthur replied with another huff, though he chuckled slightly at the other's grin.

"I'm American!"

"That doesn't automatically mean you win!"

"Yes it does!"

"How does it?"

"Because I'm American!" Alfred said, as if that cleared everything up.

"That doesn't mean you won!"

"Heh, all right." Alfred leaned his cheek on Arthur's shoulder, looking up at him. Then he suddenly remembered something. "Wait! You said you were tired, right? You should go to sleep..."

"Ah, no, it's fine," Arthur replied with a small sigh. "It's been a few days since I've seen you anyway..." The Brit's voice quieted as he trailed off, his body drooping a little despite his words.

Alfred noticed. "Yeah, but I'm not gonna go anywhere," he pointed out, secretly delighted that he had the opportunity to use his new word. "You're really tired, look. You're practically falling over. Go to sleep, Arthur."

Arthur glanced over at Alfred and huffed softly, standing. "Fine," he murmured before leaving the room, back minutes later with his pillow and duvets.

"...What are you doing?" Alfred had slipped back in the water, slightly hurt that Arthur had left with such short words, but now he tilted his head in confusion.

"Going to sleep."

"But-" Alfred looked even more confused. "But this is the pool room, not your bed room..."

"I know. Why can't I stay here?"

"I-I don't know... Won't it be un- uncomfortable there?"

Arthur shrugged. "It's fine. You're the one that told me to sleep, and I want to stay here with you."

"You really do?" Alfred smiled softly at him. "I'm glad..."

"Good. So then I'll stay right here."

"Then I'll stay with you!" Alfred pulled himself out of the water and rolled close to Arthur, but not close enough that his sheets got wet. "At least until you fall asleep..."

"Wha- hey, you don't need to..." Arthur replied quietly.

"I want to!" Alfred smiled at him more.

Arthur looked at the other a moment longer before sighing slightly. "All right, then," he said, smoothing out the sheets before laying on them and pulling the duvet over himself.

"Take my hand?" Alfred held his dried palm out to him. "I want to feel you but I can't hug because I'm wet and it might help you get to sleep?"

The Brit blinked at the merman, then down at his hand. "Ah..." Slowly, Arthur took it, his eyes directed at the floor as he did so. "If you insist..."

"Are you sure?" The merman drew back a tiny bit in nervousness. "You don't gotta if you don't wanna!"

"It's fine," Arthur mumbled.

"Okay." Alfred squeezed Arthur's hand a little bit, but there was still a small voice in his mind that doubted Arthur really wanted to do this. He pushed it down though and closed his eyes.

"It's fine..." the Brit repeated, quieter this time, as his heavy eyelids dropped, and he quickly fell to sleep.

"Okay." Alfred watched him for a while, as long as he could manage, until his tail grew too dry and he had to slip into the water. But he stayed as close to the Brit as possible, and he soon drifted off as well.

Hours later, when Arthur woke up, he glanced down at his cold hand on the ground, withdrawing it back into the blanket, before his gaze switched to Alfred, and he watched the merman quietly.

Alfred was still asleep, his arms crossed beneath his chin. His upper half was draped over the edge of the pool while his tail swayed gently in the water.

Arthur tilted his head a little at the sight- the merman really was quite pretty- and gave a soft sigh. "...Do you always sleep like that?" he murmured to himself. "You'll get aches in the morning, you silly thing..."

The merman let out a soft groan almost in response and he shifted a bit, burying his face more in his arms.

"Hey..." Arthur frowned slightly and shifted forwards a little to poke Alfred gently. "You should really get up..."

Mmm?" Alfred blinked awake and looked up at him with some confusion. "Morning..." Then he remembered that Arthur had stayed the night and the confusion was gone.

"Good morning there," Arthur replied, smiling slightly.

"How did you sleep?" Alfred stretched, wincing softly as his back cracked.

"Mm... All right." Arthur frowned slightly at the other. "You?"

"I'm okay. Hurts a bit, but oh well." Alfred smiled.

"Honestly, you should have slept in a more comfortable position," the Brit muttered, shaking his head softly.

"I wanted to be as near you as possible..." Alfred pursed his lips.

"Wh-" Arthur blinked and blushed softly. "That's silly... That shouldn't be more important than your comfort."

"You are important though." Alfred tilted his head.

"Well- yes- but..."

The merman shrugged. "And I wanted to keep holding your hand but I couldn't reach so I wanted to be close."

"That- That's silly..." The Brit said with a small chuckle. Well, Alfred was still innocent, after all.

"I'm not silly! I am hungry though... I ate all the fish like last morning..." Alfred clicked his teeth a few times and gave Arthur a hopeful glance.

Arthur just chuckled more at that. "All right, all right, I'll get you some more," he said, slowly sitting up and stretching.

"Thanks, Arthur!" Alfred smiled more and waved to him as he left.

Only a few minutes later, Arthur was back, and he placed the tray by the side of the pool by Alfred. "Or would you rather I threw it?" he asked.

"This is okay." Alfred smiled at him and took some of the fish. This was more mature than Arthur throwing them to him.

"All right, then," the Brit replied, sitting back down again.

Alfred devoured the fish in what seemed like record time and then rested his head on Arthur's lap. "Tell me about your trip."

"My trip? Ah... Well it was nice, I suppose. Good to be back in England." Arthur looked down at the other. "What part do you want to hear about?"

"England! What..." Alfred thought about the questions he wanted to ask. "What do you miss about England? What was nice when you went back?"

"The people," Arthur answered with almost no hesitation. "People are so much more loud and have less regard for personal space here. And nowhere does tea quite as well as England, either."

Alfred pursed his lips. "...Am I too loud and have less regard for personal space?" he eventually asked.

Arthur frowned slightly at the question. "No, of course not. I mean, you do have less regard for personal space than most of the people in England- but you're my friend, so that's okay."

"Okay!" Alfred nodded, happy with the answer. "That's good. And is tea really that much better?"

"Definitely." Arthur replied with conviction, giving a firm nod.

"I've never had tea..."

"Really?"  _Ah, of course not._  "I'll make you some!"

"Yay! Proper British tea!" Alfred wriggled a bit out if happiness, but then remembered himself and calmed down, blushing slightly.

Arthur chuckled as he stood. "Yes," he replied, before heading out to make it quickly. "I'll see you in a moment."

Alfred flopped back into the pool, vanishing under the water while he waited for Arthur to return with the tea.

Moments later, Arthur returned with a tray, carefully balancing the pot as he sat and poured it out. "But be careful, it's hot."

"Looks fancy."

"I suppose it is," the Brit replied, adding a little milk. "Do you want sugar?"

"Yes!" Alfred nodded fervently. Sugar was good.

"All right," Arthur replied with a small laugh, and he put a small bit of the sweetener in before passing the cup to Alfred.

The merman quickly put it down on the poolside as it was very hot. He inspected the cup for a moment, then stuck his nose over it. "It smells nice..."

"Mm, I love the smell of tea," Arthur agreed. "This one's just the usual English Breakfast- I thought you should start with the basics."

"Basics?" Alfred blinked. "It gets more complicated?"

"Heh, not that much more. But there's other types of tea- this is just the most popular one."

"Oh, okay. Thank God." Alfred relaxed. "Hey, Arthur? Can I also try coffee too? From..." He searched for the name of the place he had seen on TV. "Starbucks?"

Arthur sputtered slightly. "Well- if you really want to, I suppose..."

"I do, I do!" The merman's smile grew and he picked up the cup by the handle to take a sip of it. "Mmm, good!"

Arthur blinked. "You like it?"

"It's good! Needs more sugar, I think, but otherwise it's good!"

Arthur broke into a pleased smile. "That's good! Well, I mean- I guess you can have another sugar if you really want."

"I'd like that." Alfred gave Arthur a soft smile from under his eyelashes as he slid the teacup over.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked in surprise at that smile, quickly busying himself with the sugar as his face gently flushed. "Th-There..."

"Thanks, Arthur!" Alfred's smile turned more innocent and he happily sipped from the teacup.

"You're welcome..." Arthur quickly took a sip from his own cup.

"So, Arthur." After setting the teacup down, Alfred leaned against the edge of the pool, for the most part unconsciously showing off his stomach.

"Yes?" Arthur tilted his head slightly, looking up at the other.

"Uhh... How long does it take to get to England? It was across the ocean and stuff, right?"

"Yeah... It took around eight hours this time."

"That's a lot... Weren't you bored?"

"Mm, I suppose. I had some books, though, and I'm quite used to long waits by now."

"I wouldn't be able to survive that..." Alfred shuddered and took another drink of his tea.

"Heh, I'm sure. Well, either way, I'm glad I'm back."

"I'm glad too..." Alfred reached out to touch Arthur's leg. "Do you gotta work today?"

"Ah, probably... I think I'll take a day off, though," Arthur said, sighing and leaning on a hand.

"So you'll stay with me the whole day?"

"Yes," Arthur replied with a small smile.

"Okay! What will we do?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Whatever you wanna! You were gone for so long, you gotta wanna do somethin'!"

"Mm... Well for now, it's just nice to sit here. We can play a bit later, though, if you want."

"We can sit." Alfred smiled. He ignored the second part of what Arthur said- 'play' sounded so childish. But he supposed that they'd discuss it later.

"All right," Arthur replied with a small smile of his own.

Alfred pulled his body up out of the water, settling down next to Arthur and slumping against him. Since Arthur hadn't said anything about talking Alfred tried to keep quiet and just enjoy the time spent with the man, but he quickly grew bored. His eyes were fixed on the rainbow flag so he decided to ask about it. "Is that common?" he asked, nodding at it. "Being gay?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked at the other, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Ah... Well, it's not uncommon, I suppose... I- I mean, quite a few people are. But more people aren't, I think."

"Is it a problem? There was something on the news, but I was looking for a show so I didn't watch it..."

"A problem?! Of course it's not!" Arthur sighed, resting back from his tensed-up position. "...Some people think it is though," he said.

Alfred jerked back. "I don't mean I think it is!" he said, pouting a little. "I was just asking..."

Arthur glanced up at the other with a small smile. "That's fine. I'm glad you don't think so..."

"Good! But who does? Why?"

"Ah, lots of different people. They just don't think it's 'right' or 'natural' for a man to love another man." Arthur shook his head. "As if body parts make a difference to who a person is."

"That doesn't make sense... Love is love..." Alfred frowned. "I mean in the wild it's important for the species to reproduce but with humans it's different, right?"

"Mm, exactly. There's plenty of us as there is, and either way, if you love someone, it shouldn't matter."

"Very true!" Alfred looked over at Arthur and smiled. "You're very smart!"

Arthur blinked, but then grinned. "Heh, well I do run a massive publishing company."

"Massive? How massive?"

"Well... It's one of the three biggest chains in the world, and we end up publishing about a quarter of the world's books. But it specializes in books from British authors."

"Whoa..." Alfred's eyes were wide. "That's massive..."

Arthur shrugged. "I love books," he said, by way of explanation.

"I can tell..." Alfred let out a soft laugh.

"W-Well, yes..." Arthur replied awkwardly.

Alfred was suddenly struck with an idea. "Heh, so if I wrote a book and it was nice would you publish it?"

Arthur raised a brow at the other. "If it was good enough, yes."

"Then I'll do it! I'll make a book good enough for you!" Alfred's eyes were alight with eagerness.

"Heh. Well you'll need to learn to read and write first."

Alfred nodded eagerly. "I will! I will! I wanna write something for you!"

Arthur blinked at the other, before his face softened into a gentle smile. "...Then I look forward to it."

Another nod, and Alfred's mind raced with ideas. "I won't disappoint you! Promise!"

The Brit chuckled. "All right. Good luck."

"Thanks!" Alfred flopped over so his head was on Arthur's lap. "Let's watch some TV maybe?"

"If you like," Arthur said with a small smile, reaching for the remote.

"Yeah! You pick!"

"All right." Arthur said, quickly choosing a channel and sitting back to watch it.

It was amazing how quickly they settled back into their normal state of affairs after Arthur returned. Alfred grew happy again, inexplicably happy, and he grew closer to the Brit. He also matured more, and while he would still wriggle and act like a puppy, those reactions grew fewer for the merman instead liked to laugh and grin happily.

He learned more words (most of them American forms, which irritated Arthur to high hell but there was nothing he could do since the TV played mostly American shows) and Arthur started teaching him to read and write. As always, Alfred was a quick learner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter, heh. Don't worry though, Alfred writing a book is gonna come back!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very brief mention of another character here- and no he won't be back for the rest of the story.

At around the same time, a certain Ivan Braginsky was wondering what had happened to his British friend and the mermaid he had bought for such a high price at the Black Market. So he decided to visit, and one Monday morning found himself on Arthur's doorstep, knocking at the door.

A few seconds later, Arthur pulled the door open, his irritated look growing surprised as he looked over the Russian man. "Ah... Ivan? What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Arthur! I have come to see if all is well with you and your new...friend!" Ivan said, smiling pleasantly.

"Ah... Right. Yes, everything's fine," he said with a nod.

"Can I see him?"

Arthur blinked stupidly before biting his lip and nodding. Ivan did have a way of making people on edge without really doing anything. "Of course, come on in," he said, taking a step back.

"Thank you!" Ivan stepped in and removed his light coat, hanging it up on the rack. "Where is he?"

"Oh, in the pool room, right this way," the Brit replied, leading the other to the room and knocking on the door. "Alfred, there's a visitor," he called, so the merman wasn't startled by the other man's presence.

"Visitor?" Alfred tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Who is it?"

Arthur opened the door then, stepping inside. "This is Ivan- he took me to the market where you were being...held," he said, uncomfortable with mentioning that he'd technically bought the other.

"Oh." Alfred's eyes widened and he stayed mostly submerged in the very middle of the pool.

"Hallo!" Ivan called cheerfully, giving the merman a little wave. "You speak well."

"Thanks..." Alfred glanced at Arthur, clearly uncomfortable.

Arthur gave him an apologetic look and shrugged softly.

The merman huffed softly, but he put on a neutral face. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too." Ivan nodded his head to the creature before turning to Arthur. "He is quite a pretty sight, no?"

"Uh..." Arthur blinked, frowning slightly as, in his opinion, he felt like Ivan was being a little rude - but he knew better than to bring it up. "Y-Yes."

The Russian man smiled and knelt at the edge of the pool, trying to appear less intimidating. "What is your name?"

"...Alfred." The merman tilted his head- this new human seemed a bit strange, but not malicious. Nonetheless Alfred didn't approach yet. "What about you?"

"Ivan Braginsky," Ivan replied with delight. He turned to Arthur and smiled. "He is very polite."

"Indeed," Arthur replied with a small smile, glancing at Alfred.

"You like him very much..." Ivan said lowly, for Arthur's ears only to hear.

"Wha- O-Of course I do!" Arthur stuttered out. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Heh." Ivan just smiled. "I never expected you to be into that. But I must go now, my own work awaits me. I will let myself out, yes? Good bye!" He waved to Alfred, and with a final knowing smile at Arthur, excused himself. "I will visit again later maybe!"

"Into what?! Ivan- Fine," Arthur huffed. "Goodbye."

"What?" Alfred slowly swam closer to him. "What are you into?"

"I don't know! Hmph, why would I know what he was talking about...?"

"Well he was talking to you!" By then Alfred was by the edge. "What  _are_  you into though?" The question was for strictly curious purposes, of course.

"What, you mean in people?" Arthur rose his brows slightly.

"Yeah! That's what he meant, right?"

"I- I guess..."

"Well then what do you like?" By now Alfred was curious and really just wanted to know.

"I-I-" Now that Arthur was thinking about it, Alfred was quite his type- blond hair and blue eyes; he was unfortunately a sucker for the typical pretty boy. "I like... Charming people, I guess. Not fake ones either, people who are honest with what they say. And if they look good, well, that's definitely a bonus."

"Ah..." Alfred smiled. "That sounds like a good type to have," he said, nodding sagely.

"Yes." Arthur glanced up at the other, tilting his head. "How about you? Do you know what you like in a person?"

Alfred shrugged. "Never really thought about it. There's no point for me to. But I guess I just want someone nice."

Arthur nodded. "Nice is good."

"It is." Alfred smiled. "You're nice."

Arthur blinked. "...Well I'm glad you think so."

"I do!" Alfred rested his head against the edge of the pool. "So how do you know Ivan?"

"Oh, we worked with each other a few years back. I suppose we became friends...? He seems like you should be frightened of him, but he's really all right."

"Okay. Yeah, he was a lil bit scary..."

"I'm sorry about that." Arthur pulled a face. "I wasn't expecting him."

"It's okay. Will he keep it a secret though?"

"Well he has until now. I honestly don't think he will, he hasn't got any reason to."

"Okay. I don't wanna get taken away..."

"You won't, don't worry. I wouldn't let that happen."

"Promise?" Alfred reached out to grasp tightly onto Arthur's hand.

Surprised for a moment, Arthur blinked, but then squeezed the merman's hand gently. "Of course."

"Okay. I trust you." Alfred smiled and relaxed, though he didn't let go.

"Good." Arthur smiled softly back at the other.

"So..." Alfred coughed softly and slipped his hand out of Arthur's. "Can you bring me some more human foods to try?"

"Hm? Ah, of course. Any kind of food you'd like?"

"Hamburgers! I saw them on TV and they looked good!"

"Wha- ...I don't have any here," Arthur replied, thinking about it.

"Oh..." Alfred drooped.

Arthur sighed softly at this. "...I can order one in, or go get one, if you want."

"I would, but if it's too much trouble then fish is fine."

"It's fine," Arthur replied, smiling slightly and shaking his head.

"...What's the smile for?"

"What? Nothing..."

"Okay then." Alfred heaved himself out of the water and turned the TV on so he would have some entertainment while Arthur went to order.

"All right, so just a hamburger, yes?" Arthur said as he headed to sit by the wall, taking his phone out.

"Yes! Thank you, Arthur!"

Arthur nodded, then opened an app on his phone and ordered from the nearest McDonalds. About half an hour later, there was a knock at the door, and the Brit retrieved the burgers and fries. "Here you go, then."

"It smells so goooood!" Alfred practically started drooling as he caught whiff of the scent and wasted no time biting into it.

Arthur simply chuckled, shaking his head before taking out his own burger and starting on it. "There's some... Chips, too, if you want to try them."

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "...You mean fries?"

"Wh- They're called chips!"

"The TV says they're fries!"

"The TV-" Arthur huffed. "Well it's wrong!"

Alfred frowned. "But it's right about everything else..."

"It is  _not_!" Arthur frowned softly - why was the merman trusting the television's opinion more than  _his_? - and crossed his arms. "We call them chips."

"Who's 'we'?"

"...In Britain."

"...But this isn't Britain." Alfred slowly smiled as a thought hit him. "Heh, you don't like it that Americans say fries, don't you? And you're tryin'a make me British!"

"Wha- o-of course not! Why would I do that?" Arthur responded with a huff.

Shaking his head, Alfred turned back to his food and within seconds devoured the burger and fries. "Well whatever it is, it's good." He leaned up and touched Arthur's cheek. "Thank you, Arthur..."

"Ah-" Arthur blinked at the other and nodded softly. "You're welcome."

"You do so much for me..." Alfred bit his lip, realizing that he was freeloading a bit- another term he had learned from television. "Is there anythin' I could do for you?"

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head. "No, don't you worry about that. I don't do that much for you anyway."

Alfred's fingers tightened on Arthur's cheek. "Arthur. You saved my life. You bring me food, you gave me this pool, you  _taught_  me how to speak and read and write... How is that not much?"

Arthur watched him for a moment, before lowering his gaze. "In... In that case... Could I perhaps, um...touch you?"

"Touch me?" Alfred's eyebrow rose, but then he smiled softly. "Sure, I don't see why not. You want me in the water or laid out on the edge?"

"Ah- well, either's fine, really..." Arthur said quietly. "Is that really all right?"

Nodding, Alfred heaved himself out. "Yeah, sure. You won't hurt me."

"Okay..." Arthur watched as the other came out, shifting back a little to give the merman room.

Muscles rippling, Alfred laid himself out on the edge of the pool, his tail swishing in the air for a moment before settling down. "Is this good?"

"Yes, that's fine," Arthur replied, slowly coming to Alfred's side and looking down at him.

Alfred watched him with curious eyes. "Go on, then. I don't bite."

Arthur blinked, glancing up at Alfred before moving his hand so his fingers gently touched Alfred's chest, watching the hand as it traced down the skin.

"Mm..." Alfred closed his eyes for a moment and ever so slightly leaned into the touch.

Breathing catching slightly, Arthur brushed his fingers across the dips and curves of Alfred's stomach muscles - of course the merman would be well built, with all the swimming - then paused at the join where scales met skin. He ran his finger against the join there for a moment, marveling at how natural it seemed.

Alfred was looking at Arthur's face and smiling softly. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Jumping slightly, Arthur's head snapped up as he looked at the other. "Oh... Y-Yeah."

"Heh, don't be scared."

"I'm not scared... Why would I be?" Arthur replied quietly.

"I dunno. You jumped." Alfred shrugged. "Keep going though. It feels nice."

Arthur nodded, his eyes going back down to his hands as they continued down to Alfred's tail. He found himself somewhat surprised at how smooth the scales wore, and he stroked there gently, in awe - this was a mermaid, a real life mermaid under his hands! And it was so - "Beautiful..." Arthur whispered, eyes locked on the delicate blue scales.

A blush appeared on Alfred's cheeks. "It's just a fish tail..." he mumbled modestly.

"But still..." Arthur's fingers traversed the length of Alfred's tail and back, coming to a stop when Arthur came across a small flap on the blue tail. He frowned slightly, brushing against it. "Have you got a cut...?" he murmured.

"U-Uh, no..." At the motions Alfred squirmed a little bit.

Arthur ran his finger across it more, inspecting it carefully. "Well what's this then?" He asked, lifting his head to look at Alfred- and when he did he frowned even more at the other's reaction. Then all of a sudden his eyes widened and snapped back down, his face turning red. "Alfred... Wh-What is this...?" What was going on? Did Alfred have a... Was he actually a she? Or was that just how fish worked? Arthur's head was spinning from the puzzlement, so he shook it a little to clear it.

"I-It's my-" Oh Lord, due to all the stroking and rubbing, it was close to coming out. Alfred flipped into the pool to hide it, his eyes the only thing above the water.

Almost instantaneously, Arthur moved back, his hands coming up in the air as if in surrender, his face redder than ever as he stared at Alfred with wide eyes. "I-I'm so sorry, Alfred- I didn't realize, I-I- s-sorry-"

The merman blew bubbles in response, his own face a healthy shade of tomato.

"I-I'm sorry..." Arthur murmured again, looking down before standing and fiddling with the edge of his shirt. "...I think I'll leave for a little bit. Give you some... Uh... Privacy, and a chance for us to cool down slightly, heh..." He gave a small, embarrassed chuckle. "I shan't be long..."

"Okay..." Once Arthur was gone, Alfred moved to the filter vent and started coaxing his cock out. There was only one way to get rid of the semi-hardness, and that was to release. Letting out soft moans and grunts, Alfred swirled in the water, occasionally grasping the wall and thrusting against it. After about four minutes, he came right into the vent, and the filter swept his seed out of the water. The merman sighed, spent, and allowed himself to float listlessly across the surface of the pool while he waited for Arthur to return.

The Brit was back before too long, less embarrassed now though still obviously flustered, and he shifted slightly closer to the pool as he closed the door behind him. "...I really am very sorry- it was an accident, s-so..."

"It's okay..." Alfred mumbled. "But I am a guy though, so yeah. I think you know what that is now..." He coughed and looked down at the water.

"Ah, right..." Shifting slightly, Arthur glanced down too, a little uncomfortable in the situation. "...S-So, is there anything you wanted to do?"

"I think I'm good now, actually. If you've got something, then go ahead though."

"Oh, no, it's fine."

"Okay. Well if you need to work, then go. I'll be fine, heh..." Alfred rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Mm, I probably should..." Arthur replied. "I-I can stay here for a little bit, though, if you want..."

"I don't mind..." Alfred's gaze stayed demurely lowered at the water.

"Okay, then... Well, I'll see you later," Arthur murmured, before walking out of the door to his study.

"See you..." Alfred blew bubbles some more before turning to the TV.

About an hour into his work (or at least his attempt at it), his phone rang, and Arthur sighed as he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Arthur?" Gilbert's voice rang cheerfully from the other end of the line.

"...Yes? What is it?"

"Could you watch Fritz on Wednesday evening? I wanna have some-" A pause here as Gilbert looked around to make sure Fritz wasn't in the vicinity. "Really fucking good sex with Mattie, but Mattie gets loud and y'know, kids shouldn't really hear that."

Arthur blinked at this, sighing softly. "...Right. So you need me to look after him so you can have a shag?"

"Yup!"

Leaning back in his chair, Arthur let out a small groan. "...Fine. Fair enough."

"Awesome!" Gilbert cheered for a moment. "So I'll bring him around in the evening, all right? Not sure what time cuz you know, can't plan sex time."

"All right, I'll be ready then." Arthur sighed again. "See you in a couple of days."

"Thanks, Arthur! You're a sex-saver!" The albino snickered. "Get it? Like lifesaver but with sex!"

"...I'd hit you if we were talking in person right now."

"What?" Gilbert whined.

"Well I would. Now bugger off and get back to whatever important stuff you were probably doing. I'll see you on Wednesday, yes?"

"Yeah, see ya! Now Birdie, where did we leave off?" Then the phone went dead.

Giving his phone a disgusted look, Arthur quickly put it down and resumed working.

By the next morning, Alfred had gotten most of his embarrassment from the previous day, and he eagerly looked forward to Arthur's arrival with his fish. "Arthur!" he chirped happily when the Brit did enter, leaning up and out of the water.

"Ah- Good morning," Arthur replied with a small smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good! Can I ask you something though?"

"Hm? Of course, what is it?"

"You touched me yesterday... Can I touch you?"

"Wh-" Arthur raised his brows, flushing very slightly. "Well... I suppose it's only fair, so all right..."

"Okay! Come in then!" Alfred pushed off from the edge and waited for him in the middle of the pool.

"Ah, right." Within a few seconds, Arthur had stripped to his boxers and slid in, shivering slightly as he made his way over to the merman.

Alfred immediately raised his hands and settled them on Arthur's shoulders, his fingers tracing the delicate lines of muscle there. Arthur was less built than he himself was, but by no means could he be classified as scrawny or weak. The Brit had pale skin with a soft smattering of freckles here and there. "So pretty..." he murmured, moving his fingers up to run them across Arthur's throat.

Shuddering a little at the feeling, Arthur blinked softly, tilting his head down shyly and looking up at the other through his lashes instead. "That- That part's the same as you, though..."

"So? It's still pretty..." Alfred looked down at him with a warm smile.

"I- Not...that much..." Arthur mumbled, eyes dropping to the floor as his face flushed a little.

"Yes that much!" Alfred insisted, taking hold of Arthur's arms. "Arthur, you're hot!" The merman had seen enough TV to know that fact and the phrasing for it. "You've got a killer body!" Smiling encouragingly at him, Alfred ran his hands down Arthur's arms and then his chest and sides.

"W-Wha- I- But-" Eyes widening as they flitted between Alfred and the water below him, Arthur's face darkened even further as he blushed terribly- and he knew it. Just when did he become so conscious of Alfred? He'd always seemed so sweet and friendly and innocent, so was it really natural for the damn merman to have matured so quickly?

Alfred's face changed to panic. "I-Is not what you're supposed to say? This guy said it to a girl and she smiled!" He bit his lip. "Sorry, Arthur..."

Arthur looked up, wide-eyed. "Wha- n-no, it's fine, uh..."

"Are you sure?" Alfred's eyes matched Arthur's in wideness. "I don't wanna piss you off..."

"Wh- Alfred, I'm not pissed off at you!"

"You aren't?" Alfred smiled again, relaxing. "I'm glad!" He gave Arthur a quick hug before slipping underwater to explore Arthur's legs and feet.

"Ah..."Arthur blinked, slightly surprised, before twitching and letting out an undignified snort at the sensation at his feet.

Noticing the strange movements, Alfred took a firmer hold of Arthur's foot and continued to stroke the sole.

Shivering a little, Arthur bit his lip. "A-Ah, Alfred-"

"Hmm?" Blowing a stream of bubbles up that happened to burst straight against Arthur's crotch, Alfred broke the surface and tilted his head. "What?"

"That- a-ah... That tickles," Arthur admitted, slightly embarrassed.

"Tickl... Oh, it makes you laugh?" Alfred suddenly smirked and dove under again, grabbing a firm hold of Arthur's leg and tickling his foot relentlessly.

"Oh-" eyes widening, Arthur tensed, laughs bursting out of him before he could hold himself back, though he did his best to stifle them. "No- Alfred-"

Alfred heard the laughs and smiled himself. Arthur was happy! He continued tickling, occasionally having to duck to avoid getting kicked with Arthur's other flailing leg.

"He- hey- haha-!" Closing his eyes as he strained against the laughs, Arthur had to place his hands on the side for support. "Oh God- Al-Alfred-"

After another few moments, Alfred let go and floated up to the surface, watching him with a smile. Arthur really did look so pretty laughing... Alfred wanted to make him laugh all the time.

Arthur stood there panting weakly, a few small last laughs spilling from his mouth before he got himself under control and slowly opened his eyes to look up at Alfred again.

The merman's stomach turned as he was met with that green gaze, but he dismissed the emotion and instead made his smile wider.

Arthur simply shook his head, a small grin across his own face as he stood straighter. "Christ... Are you quite finished?"

"Yes!" Alfred said, wriggling a bit. "Can I keep touching you?"

"Ah, right, of course," the Brit replied.

"Okay!" The merman swam forward and continued his explorations, though this time he was also trying to figure out Arthur's ticklish places. He started at the back of his knees, gently running his fingertips against the skin there.

Arthur twitched slightly, but he didn't really find it  _that_  ticklish, and he rose a brow. "Are you trying to tickle me again?"

"Yes!"

Chuckling softly at this, Arthur grinned. "You're ridiculous, you know."

"Wanna tickle you!" Alfred moved up to run his hands against Arthur's sides, trying to see if he was ticklish there. "And not ridiculous!"

"Ah-" Arthur gave a small shiver, biting back another laugh. "W-Why?"

"Wanna!" Pleased by the reaction he got, Alfred increased the ferocity of his tickling.

"Hey, hey-" Arthur let out a small snort, squirming away. "You- You only just stopped-!"

"And I'm gonna start again now!" Alfred cheerfully wrapped his arms around Arthur from behind to keep him still. With his new position, he could tickle Arthur with more accuracy and less struggling from the man.

"Ah- ah- oh God-" Arthur was panting by now, little laughs slipping from his lips as he shut his eyes in an effort to contain them. "This just isn't fair!"

"Why not?' Alfred's mouth was right next to Arthur's ear, and he squeezed the human gently before allowing his hands to splay against Arthur's stomach.

Immediately, Arthur snapped out of it, a small shiver traveling down his spine at the voice so close. "Ah... W-Well, because you pinned me so I couldn't move and... Tickled me..."

"You were laughing though, right?" Alfred continued in that same tone. "So it's not that bad, right?"

"N...No, it wasn't bad, exactly..." Arthur mumbled.

"That's good!" Letting go of him, Alfred sank down under the water before quickly swimming around Arthur and popping up in front of him. He was still grinning widely, and his hands moved to grasp Arthur's shoulders. "You can try to tickle me now!" he offered as compensation.

Arthur huffed softly, his eyes scanning the other as they inspected him body, scrutinizing it, before launching himself forward to attack. "You're on," he muttered, reaching for Alfred's torso to tickle there.

Almost instantly Alfred squealed with laughter, his body twisting and flailing into fantastical shapes. "Noooooo- Arthur- haha- heee! Arthur- Arth- Ah!" He rolled in the water, searching for an escape.

Arthur's grin stretched wider as he reached forwards to grab Alfred, tickling him more. "Oi, oi, I'm not done with you yet!"

"Nooooo!" Alfred squeaked more and failed at getting away, more laughter bursting from his mouth as his sides were assaulted again.

"Oh, yes," Arthur replied cheekily, lightly running his fingers all over the merman's side, chuckling at the other's noises.

Said merman squirmed horribly, writhing and squeaking. After a few moments he managed to squeeze free and jet across to the other side of the pool. "Hah!"

"Oi-" Arthur looked up at him and huffed again, before starting to chase after him.

"Can't catch me!" Alfred cried, waiting until Arthur had almost reached him before diving and slipping away again.

"I sure as hell can," the Brit growled, turning and heading after the other.

"No!" Laughing more of his own accord, Alfred retreated to the other end of the pool. He turned and watched the human come towards him, already calculating his next escape route.

But within the next few seconds, Arthur had closed the gap and pounced on the merman.

"Wha-" Alfred gasped when Arthur's arms closed around his waist, and he squirmed horribly in an attempt to get free.

"Oh no you don't," the Brit murmured, immediately starting up his attack again.

"Arthuuuuuuuuuuuur!" Laughs burst from Alfred's mouth again, though he desperately tried to suppress them. "No- No haha- Pleeeeaaaase!"

Pausing his movements, Arthur simply held the other. "Hmph. I'm just paying you back."

"Hmph!" Alfred huffed, though he was happy with the contact and leaned back into Arthur's embrace.

"What? I am." Arthur huffed against the other's back, scowling softly.

"That hurt, you know!" Alfred pouted at him, all of a sudden twisting around in his arms. They were face to face, their noses inches apart. "The tickling."

"Ah- W-Well that's what happens!"

Alfred's eyes suddenly widened. "Did I hurt you?!"

"What?" Arthur blinked.

"Wh-When I tickled you. Did I hurt you?"

"W-Well my stomach aches a little from all the laughing, but..."

"I'm sorry!" Alfred lunged forward and hugged Arthur tightly against himself.

"It's fine..." the Brit replied.

"Okay..." Alfred let go and looked up at Arthur from under his eyelashes. He gently placed his hand against Arthur's stomach and stroked it. "You're not hurting anymore?"

"N-Not at all... It's really okay, Alfred... I haven't laughed like that in a while, anyway."

"Really?" Alfred's face brightened into a hopeful one. "Are you happy that you laughed?"

Arthur glanced down, then nodded. "...Of course."

"I'm glad!" Alfred gave him a brilliant smile and a wriggle. "Do you wanna swim with me more?"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"Okay!" Taking Arthur's hand, Alfred led him gently through the water, doing slow laps and just enjoying the Brit's company.

Arthur followed him, trying to focus on his swimming rather than the gentle pressure on his hand. "You swim so well..." he murmured after a while.

Alfred chuckled. "Of course I do, I lived my whole life in the ocean! But you swim so well too!" He gave Arthur's hand a light squeeze.

"Mm... well, not that well..." the Brit replied quietly.

"Yeah, look at you!" Alfred stopped and gripped Arthur by the shoulders. "You were swimmin' real nice there! And you caught me twice!"

Arthur's eyes widened slightly. "Wha- but, you let me the first time!"

"So? You caught me a few moments ago!"

"Well, still..."

"Trust me, Arthur. You're a pretty good swimmer." Flashing Arthur a final smile, Alfred took his hand again and continued on their laps.

After another few laps Alfred dragged him over to one end of the pool and they ended up watching TV until Arthur had to go work. The merman curled up at the bottom of the pool, in a patch of silvery moonlight. He dreamed of green eyes and a pair of pale arms around his waist, caressing his chest in a way that he didn't know could feel that good.

It was quiet the next day, at least until about 8:36 pm. It was then that the knocking started, an impatient Gilbert outside the door with a slightly confused Fritz at his side.

"Oi, Kirkland! Open up!"

Jolting up, Arthur sighed and scowled. "Sorry, Alfred. Got to go," he said, heading for the door as he grumbled. "Yes? Hello."

"Hey, Arthur! Ready for that sleepover! Fritz has got all his shi- stuff, so you're all set!"

"Right, of course. Come on in, then, Fritz," Arthur said pleasantly as the young boy joined his side, before looking up to shake his head oh-so-slightly at Gilbert.

"Mwah!" Gilbert blew them both a cheeky kiss and then sauntered quickly down the hall.

Arthur simply raised a brow as he shut the door, then turned to Fritz. "So what would you like to do?"

Once the kid was settled down with a book, Arthur went to check on the merman in his pool.

Alfred's head was tilted as he watched Arthur enter. "Is Fritz here?"

"Yes, he just got here... So I'm afraid I won't be able to come in for the next few hours."

"Oh, that's okay! I'll just watch a movie real quiet or something! Have fun, okay?" Alfred gave the human a smile.

Giving a small smile back and nodding, Arthur left to go back to Fritz. "Ah, do you need anything to eat or drink?" he asked the boy. "I can get a takeout if you want."

"Hmm... Yes, if that's okay," Fritz replied. He'd had dinner already, but it was getting to that time when he started getting hungry again, and he hadn't had pudding. But more importantly, this could be a good opportunity. "Do you have any of those scones at the moment?"

"Wha- I don't have any at the moment..." Arthur raised his brows skeptically. "...You really want them that much?"

Fritz nodded in answer. "They're... Um... Lovely."

Lighting up at this, Arthur grinned. "Well, then, I suppose I can whip up a batch for you, it only takes about ten minutes! What kind of monster would I be to deny such a wonderful child, hm?"

And with that, the Brit left for the kitchen, Fritz's eyes following his back.

Now Fritz was suspicious, and curious about that voice he had heard last week. Arthur had disappeared off at least once each time Fritz had been over recently, and though it probably wasn't any of his business, he couldn't help but be curious. Well, he was only ten. So, five minutes after Arthur left, the child shut his book and quietly slid from the chair and out of the from, sneaking down the corridor to the pool room. He looked all around him, making sure nobody was watching, before taking in a deep breath and opening the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curiosity killed the cat. Or in this case, exposed the merman XD


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The big reveal! Or rather, one of many...

Alfred looked up when he heard the door open. "Arthur?" Then he froze. That...was not Arthur. "Uhm...hi there?"

Fritz stared back at him, wide-eyed.

"So..." Alfred decided to try and be as friendly as possible and slowly swam closer. "I won't hurt you, promise! Are you Fritz?"

Giving a timid nod, Fritz took a step forward. Well, this man was in Arthur's house, and anyone in Arthur's house couldn't be a bad person... Still, the little boy was shy, as many little boys are, so he stayed back for now. "Who... Who are you?"

"I'm Alfred! Arthur's friend!"

"Alfred...?" Fritz glanced behind himself quickly, then came into the pool room properly, looking around. He quickly noticed the other's tail and paused again. "Is that real?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah!" Smiling, Alfred nodded and moved even closer, up until he was right by the edge of the pool, and bent so his scales came above the water. "Wanna touch?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. He trusted Arthur when he said this kid wasn't mean, and he didn't seem the type to do anything bad to him.

The boy flinched back slightly, but then slowly came forwards, his wonder overcoming his nervousness. "Can- Can I?"

"Yeah! Don't be scared!" Alfred nodded eagerly, wanting this young child to like him.

Fritz approached with wide eyes, slowly crouching and reaching a hand out to touch the merman's tail. "Whoa..." He said quietly as he began to stroke it slightly.

"You like it?" Alfred asked softly, not moving for fear of scaring him away.

"They're quite soft..." Fritz replied.

"Yeah!" Alfred wriggled a tiny bit. "Can I touch you too?"

Fritz blinked, looking up. "Um... I-I guess..."

"Thanks!" Alfred reached out and briefly ran his fingers across Fritz's arm, leaving trails of water on the boy's skin. "You're softer than Arthur..." he commented, then leaned back. "Hey Fritz..."

After shivering slightly at the wet, Fritz tilted his head. "Yes?"

"Fritz, you can't tell anyone about me, understand?"

"Okay. Because you have a fish tail?" Fritz thought about this for a moment. "So this means you're a mermaid, right? I've read about them in books."

"Yeah! But I'm a merman, not a mermaid." Alfred wrinkled his nose at the feminine term.

"Oh, there's a difference, then?"

"Well a mermaid is a girl and a merman is a boy! I'm a boy!" Alfred told him, gesturing to his chest.

"Oh, I thought so, I just didn't realize it mattered. Sorry." After a moment, the boy started another query. "Is it fun? Swimming like that?"

"It's okay! And yeah, it's really fun!" Alfred's eyes lit up. "Wanna swim with me?"

Fritz's eyes widened and he nodded.

Alfred was delighted that the boy accepted his proposition and moved out to the center of the pool. "Come in, then! But maybe take your clothes off..."

"Ah, yes...!"

Arthur, meanwhile, was humming as he busied himself with the oven, clapping his hands together proudly once they were all set to cook.

With one last glace at the time, Arthur left to go see Fritz. "They're in the oven now..." he started to say as he opened the door, but stopped dead when the boy wasn't to be found. Frowning, the Brit looked around for him, before his eyes landed on the pool room door and widened.  _Shit..._  Arthur quickly made a dash for the room pausing when he got to the door. Fritz was midway through taking his shirt off, and Alfred was lying there, relaxed,  _right in plain sight_  in the middle of the pool! "Wh- Al- Fr-Fri... Just what is going on here?!"

Oh shit- Alfred had momentarily forgotten about Arthur. The merman gave the Brit a hopeful smile. "Hi Arthur! We're gonna go swimming!" he said.

"What... What the  _hell_  are you doing? Fritz, come here." Arthur looked between the two, confused and completely at a loss with what to do with the two. Especially when Fritz's face saddened.

"No, Arthur!" Alfred rushed to the edge of the pool, his gaze pleading. "It's okay! I told him he couldn't tell anyone! And I asked him to come in the water!"

"Wh- Alfred..." Arthur looked between the two peoples' wide, hopeful gazes and sighed. "...Fine. How on earth did things even get like this?" he murmured.

"The kid was curious." Alfred shrugged. "No harm done. Wanna join us?"

After another pause, Arthur shrugged. "All right, why not?" He said, then took his top off.

"Really?" Alfred lit up. He would have hated for Fritz to get into trouble on his account. He swam closer to the boy again, holding out a hand to him to help him into the water.

Fritz took it with a small smile as he dipped in, Arthur soon following him and raising a brow at the others.

Alfred raised him up and set the boy gently in the pool, grinning all the while. "So, Fritz. How old are you?"

"Ten," the boy replied, shivering as he got used to the water. "How old are you?"

"Um." That was a good question. Alfred thought for a moment. "I think nineteen?"

Both of the two humans' eyebrows rose at this. "You think?"

The merman looked sheepish. "What? I'm not exactly sure... I'm pretty sure it was nineteen winters though."

"You mean you don't know your birthday?" Fritz asked, seemingly distraught at the idea.

Alfred's lips drew into a slight pout. "No... But my mom always told me it was during the hottest...sea...season, and there was a whole bunch of colourful bursting lights from above the surface..."

"Hottest season..." Holding a finger to his chin in thought, Fritz tilted his head. "Ah! July the Fourth!"

Alfred looked ecstatic. "Really? Is that my birthday?" He had learned a while ago that birthdays were something special, and he was happy to finally have his own.

"If it was hot and there were fireworks, yes!"

"Arthur!" Alfred turned to the older human, lunging forward and hugging him tightly. "I have a birthday!"

Arthur blinked at the surprise attack, eyes widening, but then he wrapped an arm around the other. "Heh... So I heard."

Head turning, Alfred lunged again, this time bringing Arthur with him. He pulled Fritz towards him as well, so the three of them ended up in a group hug. "Thank you!"

"Ah-" Fritz quickly joined in the hug, Arthur simply chuckling in response. "It's fine!"

"I'm real glad I met you, Fritz!" Alfred cooed, leaning down to nuzzle happily against the boy.

"Me too!"

Arthur blinked, then dropped his gaze to the water. It was him that taught Alfred everything else... But no, he wouldn't let himself get down over this.

The merman nuzzled to the boy for a moment more before letting go of the both of them and drifting away. "How long are you gonna be in here?" he asked, directing the question to both humans.

"Well I suppose until Fritz has to go to b-"

"I'm staying overnight!" The boy replied.

"Really?" Alfred grinned more. He turned to Arthur. "Maybe we could all have a sleepover?" The merman was excited to spend more time with his new human friend- their meeting had gone well and without a single hitch, so now Alfred wanted to talk to the boy as much as possible.

The Brit sighed and rolled his eyes. "...All right, if you're okay with that, Fritz? It'll be more uncomfortable."

Fritz nodded. "That's fine."

"Awesome!" Alfred lifted Fritz up and swung him through the air for a moment before setting him down and swirling in the water a bit. "This is gonna be a good night!"

"Ah!" Fritz's eyes widened at the twirls, but he soon started laughing.

"Yeah, yeah!" Alfred eventually put him down and swam over to Arthur, placing a hand on the Brit's arm. "Hey Artie, are we gonna eat soon?"

"Eat?" Arthur jolted at the sudden feeling, frowning a little. "Of course I've-  _damn_! I have scones in the oven! Ah, excuse me, I'll just be a moment," he said, before standing and rushing out of the pool.

"Heh, okay!" Alfred leaned back against the edge of the pool, waiting for him to return.

Arthur came back with a small sigh, having caught them just in the nick of time - he could always scrape off the little bit of black around the edges.

"Are they done?" Alfred tilted his head.

"Yes, just about."

"That's good!" Reaching out, Alfred pulled Arthur happily into the pool.

"Ah-!" Arthur shut his eyes tightly against the water, coming up with a small gasp.

"I got you, Arthur, don't worry," Alfred said with a soft smile, holding the Brit in his arms.

The Brit blinked up at the other, his face flushing slightly. "Oh... Yes, okay..."

"I'll always catch you..." On impulse, Alfred leaned down and nuzzled to him.

This did not help ease the complexion of Arthur's skin, and he glanced down, though he leaned into it slightly.

Squealing as he felt the human lean into him, Alfred increased the intensity of his nuzzling, even going as far as to spin Arthur around a bit in the water.

Fritz tilted his head slightly as he watched the others' shenanigans, thinking. "...You look like my dads," he suddenly said, the phrase completely innocent.

Alfred paused and looked at the boy, his head tilted curiously. "Your dads?"

Arthur's face was beetroot red at this point, and he glared off to the side in an attempt to get out of the situation.

"Yes,  _papa_  and  _vati_."

Alfred's eyes widened. "So your dads are gay? That's so cool!"

Fritz blinked. "Is it? It's just normal for me..."

"It's still really cool!" Alfred pushed off from Arthur and grabbed Fritz's hand, guiding him to where he would be able to see the rainbow flag. "See that flag? Arthur says it's special. Your dads are special!" The merman glowed with happiness and hugged the boy tightly.

Looking wide-eyed at the flag, Fritz squeaked slightly and hugged back.

Smiling, Alfred towed Fritz back closer to Arthur. After that, they all calmed down (though it was mostly Alfred that needed it) and settled down to watch a movie together. Once it was over, Arthur brought them some of the scones, which Alfred ate more enthusiastically than Fritz, and once the food was gone it was time to get ready for bed as it was getting quite late.

The merman begged and whined and made puppy eyes until Arthur agreed again that all of them could just sleep in the pool room – he had tried to get out of it, the sneak - and got all the necessities. They settled down to sleep, and Alfred was once more positioned half out of the water with his head nestled in his arms.

Arthur sighed at this, giving a small tut. "Alfred, you shouldn't sleep like that. You'll get muscle aches."

Alfred's puppy eyes returned. "But I wanna be close to you..."

"I-" Arthur clenched his jaw slightly. "Tch. I know, but that's going to be painful for you."

"B-But..." The merman's lower lip trembled.

Damnit- "A-All right!" Arthur said, glancing down. "I get it... But still, you can't sleep like that. Either stay in the water or some up here properly, just don't bend your spine like that..."

"Um... Umm..." Alfred bit his lip gently, deciding between the two options, before heaving himself out of the water and lying down on top of a towel, making sure to keep the tip of his tail in the pool. "Okay?"

Arthur gave a satisfied nod. "That's better."

"Okay." Smiling, Alfred reached out and took his hand.

The Brit blinked down at it, then gave a small sigh and squeezed it very slightly.

"Why the sigh?" Alfred asked quietly, his face falling a tiny bit.

"Hm?" Looking up, Arthur frowned slightly.

"You sighed..."

"I- did I? Oh...ah, I didn't realize."

"Oh, okay!" Alfred squeezed back and smiled before closing his eyes. "Good night!"

"Good night, Alfred." Then Arthur blinked and looked behind him. "Goodnight, Fritz."

"Good night."

Smiling happily, Alfred closed his eyes and drifted off. His hand never slipped from Arthur's, and by the next morning he had even shifted so it was clasped against his chest. The merman sighed happily, curled up and nose inches away from cuddling to the limb.

It wasn't long before Arthur stirred, humming softly.

Alfred was still mostly asleep, and at the stirrings he let out a low moan and shoved his nose against Arthur's palm.

This woke the Brit, and as his eyelids fluttered open, he frowned softly at the feeling enveloping his hand. It took him a while to realize it was Alfred, and when he did he tilted his head to the side.

"Nnn..." Alfred's lips brushed against the skin there as he breathed, occasionally letting out a low snore.

Face turning soft, Arthur chuckling quietly to himself.

After another few minutes, Alfred's eyes fluttered open and he stirred. "Morning..." he muttered, yawning and pressing more against the hand.

"Ah... Good morning," Arthur mumbled back, quickly glancing away.

"Hi, Arthur!" Alfred smiled and squeezed his hand.

Mm... How did you sleep?" Arthur asked, smiling slightly in return.

"It was good, yes! Really nice!"

"Ah, that's good, then."

"Yeah! How did you sleep?" Alfred gave his hand a final squeeze before letting go and slipping back into the water.

"I slept well, yes," Arthur replied, trying not to be too disappointed as he drew his own hand back.

"I'm glad... Is Fritz awake?"

"Mm... Not yet."

"So we've got the time all to ourselves for now, hmm?"

"Wha-" Arthur blinked, his eyebrows rising slightly. "U-Uh, yeah..."

"Awesome!" The merman took Arthur's arm and pulled him into the pool.

"Ah- Hey- A-Alfred!" Arthur hissed, toppling into the water and shivering a little in the cold.

"Sorry!" Alfred quickly wound around him, trying to warm him up.

"A-Ah... It's all right..." Arthur murmured back.

"Are you sure?" Alfred anxiously looked at him.

The Brit nodded, giving the other a slight smile.

"Can I...?" Alfred took more of a hold on Arthur's arm and pulled him gently in the direction of the middle of the pool.

Arthur's brows rose a little. "Can you what?"

"Can I swim with you?"

"Ah... Of course..." Arthur looked down at himself for a moment. "Let me just take my clothes off, though."

"They're already wet..." Alfred said, lips pursed. However, he guided Arthur back to the edge of the pool and pushed him out onto the edge, his hands on the Brit's butt as he lifted him. "There you go!"

"A-Ah..." Turning red, Arthur quickly stood and pulled his clothes off. "I know that! But it'll be harder to swim, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. But you'd do fine, I'm sure!" Alfred gave him an encouraging nod.

Arthur raised a brow. "Sure."

"Come back in, then!" Alfred slapped his tail against the water impatiently.

"All right, all right, shh - you'll wake Fritz up," Arthur said quietly, slipping back into the pool.

"Sorry!" Alfred immediately ducked his head, looking sheepish. His arms found their way around Arthur's body the moment he was fully submerged, and the merman sighed.

Blinking softly, Arthur hummed slightly. "Are you all right?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Mm, you're just hugging me rather a lot. And the sigh..."

"It was a happy sigh!" Alfred nudged him with his nose. "And I like hugging you... Is that wrong?"

"Nn..." Arthur leaned into it a little. "No, of course not," he said softly.

"Nnn? You like this?" Alfred nudged him more, rubbing his nose against the Brit's neck.

Arthur shivered slightly and wrapped his own arms lightly around the merman. "I suppose," the Brit murmured.

"Really? I'm glad!" Alfred wriggled softly against him, squeezing him tight.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, then leaned his head on the other's shoulder. "That's good."

"Yeah..." Alfred held him, wholly content. A phrase danced on his tongue, begging to be said, but he didn't know of it yet nor the feelings that came with it. So the merman with some difficulty bit it back and closed his eyes.

Arthur sighed softly, leaning into the feeling. "...I thought you wanted to swim," he murmured, though he stayed snuggled up to the other.

"I changed my mind," Alfred whispered. "This is nice too."

"...Okay," Arthur replied quietly, closing his eyes and relaxing into it.

After a couple of moments though Fritz started to stir so Alfred quickly let go- he didn't want the boy to compare them to his parents again. He still remembered the last time he himself had said something similar (the whole 'Not gay, don't worry' issue) and how Arthur had reacted to that.

Arthur raised his eyebrows, blinking at the sudden loss of contact, but then looked over at the boy as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Morning, Fritz!" Alfred chirped to the boy, moving to the edge and leaning against it.

"Good morning! You're already in the pool?"

The merman laughed. "Well I live in the pool!"

"But Arthur doesn't..."

"No, he doesn't..." Alfred turned to Arthur with a grin. "Why are ya in the pool?"

"Wha- You pulled me in!" Arthur called back.

"And that's why he's in the pool!" Smiling more, Alfred turned his attention to the boy again. "When do you have to go?"

Fritz shrugged. "Whenever dad comes to pick me up."

"Okay. Well I-" Alfred was interrupted by a rather loud growl from his stomach. "I'm hungry... Arthur..."

Raising a brow, Arthur shook his head. "All right, I'll go make us all some breakfast."

"Yes, that sounds good!" Alfred's tail swished for a moment and he threw himself back in the water, catching one of the mechanical fish and hugging it as he waited.

Arthur quickly returned with a tray of food- fish for Alfred, cereal for Fritz, and eggs for himself- and a pot of tea.

The merman eagerly attacked the fish, though he kept his eating underwater and turned his back to the two humans- he didn't want to scare Fritz. As usual, the fish were gone in mere moments and afterwards he rose up again, eyeing the pot of tea.

"You want some?" Arthur asked with a small smile.

"Yes, please!"

"Heh, all right," Arthur said, pouring Alfred out a tea and handing it to the merman.

"Thanks!" Alfred smiled and guzzled at it, though he almost dropped the cup when he heard faint banging from the door. "Arthur..."

Arthur looked up towards the door. "Ah... That's probably you, Fritz," he said to the boy with a small smile. "Come on, then."

"Bye, Fritz! I hope to see you next time!" Alfred waved to him, a small smile on his face.

Smiling and waving back, Fritz nodded as he followed Arthur away. "You too. It was nice to meet you."

Gilbert was waiting patiently outside the door, foot tapping away as he stood there. A few moments after his first barrage, the albino raised his fist once more.

Just then, the door swung open, and Arthur's brow flew up. "All right, already. We just finished breakfast."

"Sorry, sorry." Gilbert then promptly ignored Arthur and leaned forward to scoop Fritz up into his arms. "Hey there, little man! How was it?"

" _Vati_!" The boy exclaimed, eyes lit up with obvious excitement. "It was good, yes..." However, one glance at Arthur's warning gaze and Fritz bit his lip- he couldn't say anything about Alfred after all.

Gilbert noticed the gaze but said nothing. He ruffled the boy's hair and hugged him tight before turning to Arthur. "Thanks again, Artie. Come over for dinner one night as repayment, yeah? Mattie'll make pancakes for you. Until then, see ya!" With a small smile, he turned and started off down the hall.

"All right," Arthur replied, nodding. "See you soon." Then he shut the door.

"So, Fritz," Gilbert said once Arthur was gone. "How was it really?"

"It was good." The boy looked behind him, checking that the door was closed. "I met a mermaid!"

"Oh?" Gilbert's eyebrow rose playfully. "A mermaid? Did Arthur show you one of his stuffed toys or something?" The albino didn't know if Arthur had a stuffed toy mermaid, but it was either that or the Brit had gone into his pool and pretended.

"No, in the pool. He was really close to Arthur, but I guess that makes sense if he lives there..."

"In the pool? Fritz, are you sure you weren't imagining it?"

Fritz shook his head. "No, he was really there! And he swam really well!" Alfred had said not to tell anyone, but this was his  _father_. It was different.

Gilbert, however, was still a bit doubtful. "Well if it was a mermaid, then he probably swam well... But Fritz, you know that mermaids are magical creatures, not really real. Maybe Arthur was just playing around..."

"No, he was real!" Fritz cried, getting quite upset that his dad didn't seem to believe him. "Him and Arthur and I were all playing in the pool! And he had a really nice blue tail!"

"Shh, shh, all right." Gilbert quickly backtracked. "Are you sure sure he was real? What was his name?" If this did turn out to be true, it would have been an interesting turn of events indeed.

Fritz nodded. "Alfred."

"Alfred, hmm?" Alfred was an unnatural name, not one that could be easily made up by a child. "Would you like to go back soon?"

Blinking, Fritz then looked up at Gilbert with wide eyes. "Yes!"

"Heh." The albino smirked and kissed Fritz's forehead. "I'll call Arthur later, kay?"

"Okay."

Nodding, Gilbert continued onward. He'd have to investigate this himself, but what an interesting situation this could turn out to be.

Alfred meanwhile had been eagerly awaiting Arthur's return. "Was it Fritz's dad? Is he off home?" Alfred asked, wanting to know if everything was okay.

"Yes, of course," Arthur replied with a small chuckle. "He only lives one floor down anyway, don't worry."

"Really? That's good..." Alfred smiled. "You gonna stay with me or work?"

"I can stay for a bit if you like," Arthur replied with a shrug.

"I'd like that, yeah." Alfred gave him a soft smile.

Arthur blinked, then smiled a little back. "All right, then. I'll stay."

"Thanks!" Alfred allowed himself to drift closer to him, eventually coming to a rest by the edge. "Arthur... I saw a commercial the other day..."

"Oh? Was it a good one?"

"It was for a pool mattress... Could you get one?" Alfred's eyes were wide and pleading. He wanted to sleep closer to Arthur more, but as the Brit said, it was uncomfortable for him. He hoped that this would solve the issue.

"A pool mattress?" Arthur's eyebrows rose, and he tilted his head. Well, it would be good for the days he slept in the pool room, he supposed- much more comfortable, too. "Well... All right. That would probably be good."

"Yeah! Get a blue one!"

"Blue? Why blue?"

"It will match my tail then!" Alfred rubbed his hands over his scales for a moment, his hips jutting out.

Arthur simply chuckled and shook his head. "All right, then. Blue it is."

Lips pursing at the chuckle - that was meant to be sexy! - Alfred then nodded. "Thank you!" He spotted his formerly abandoned teacup and picked it up again, finishing the drink.

"Not at all," Arthur replied, leaning back. "Was there anything you wanted to do?"

"Tell me more about yourself. Like family and stuff."

"Family...? Hm... Well, most of my family's back in England. My dad died a few years ago, so mum's raising my last brother pretty much on her own. Then I have three other brothers; I think one of them's still at home helping mum."

"Whoa..." Alfred's eyes widened. "That's a big family... Are you close?"

"No," Arthur replied almost immediately, but then seemed to rethink. "Well... I guess we actually are. I mean, we grew up in a small house so were always around each other. But - let's see... Alistair ran off to Scotland as soon as he was 16 to marry someone mum disapproved of, and Lou had a big argument one day and left for Ireland- he was born there, you see. He's fine talking to us now, but he wants to stay there. Liam stayed with mum to help her with the baby... Oh, but he's not a baby anymore. We don't talk much, but when we do, it's as if nothing's changed - we still act the same with each other. So, in a way, we're close but we're also not."

"Oh." Alfred thought about his own faint memories of his mother and swallowed. "Tell them I say hi next time you speak?" The merman asked with a smile.

"Of course," Arthur replied with a soft smile. "...What about you?"

Alfred jumped a bit. "What about me what?"

"What about your family? You mentioned your mother once..."

Alfred lowered his gaze. "She died. I don't know my dad. He probably died too. I was alone most of the time." He shrugged. "Not much else to tell, except I travelled with a whale for a couple of months."

"Ah... I didn't realize, I'm sorry..." Arthur said quietly. "...What was she like?"

"I barely remember her," Alfred admitted. "She died about ten years ago. But I know she was real pretty. She looked like me, too, I think. She had blonde hair, I know that." He wracked his mind for any other pieces of memory he had of his mother. "I remember...she sang really prettily. And she was protective, like any mother. That's it..."

Arthur gave the other a gentle smile. "She sounds lovely," he said softly, then after a moment, quirked a brow. "You said you travelled with a whale?"

"Yeah!" Alfred immediately brightened. "About two years ago? There was a mom with her almost fully grown boy and I just stuck with the boy when he separated. I showed him places with food and he let me sleep on his head if I was tired and we were moving. We didn't talk much cuz I can't whale squeak, but we could communicate with gestures well enough! Then spring came and he started looking for girls so I left him to it."

"Oh, right. Heh, that's rather sweet..." Arthur realized something then, and tilted his head. "How did you communicate in the ocean, then? I take it you didn't speak in any human language there, really?"

"Gestures! And growls and body language and normal squeaks." Alfred shrugged. "And I picked up on some human stuff when I was investigating ships. I found lots of cool stuff too! There was this one massive sunken ship in the north Atlantic. It was in two pieces, but it was still huge!"

"North Atlantic?" Arthur's brows shot up even further at this. "Christ... You didn't happen to see the name of the ship, did you?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow as well. "Umm, well it was all covered with coral and stuff but it was made of metal and I think the first letter was a T?"

"And you say it was broken in half? Oh, wow..."

"Yeah... Why? What wow?"

"Have you ever heard of the Titanic? It's a very famous ship."

"No...?" Alfred frowned, confused. "But if it's famous then that's cool!"

Arthur nodded. "Do you want me to tell you a story about it?"

"Yes, yes!" Alfred pulled himself up out of the water, settling down next to Arthur.

"Heh, all right." Arthur grinned softly and sat back to begin. "The year was 1912 in Britain, and the docks were busy- thousands of people queued, waiting to be allowed on a great new ship's maiden voyage. The Titanic. The ship was legendary- massive and luxury, it was unsinkable. Rich people were lined up, waiting for the opportunity to tell their friends that they'd been first to travel on the unsinkable liner. And poor people lined up, waiting to travel and hoping to start a new and better life in America. And soon enough they were on the vessel, settling back and simply waiting until they were there. It was to be a long journey, so there were many events - bands, parties, get-togethers, dinners - and plenty for everybody to enjoy. It really was a nice ship."

"Whoa... That sounds really nice!" Alfred's eyes were bright with excitement. "Keep going!"

Arthur chuckled softly. "Yes. The thing is, one night, far into their voyage on a dark, foggy night, someone suddenly spotted something- an iceberg, only meters away. They tried to veer away, but it was too late. The iceberg hit, and the ship sank."

Alfred gasped. "That's horrible! Did the people live?"

"Some of them, yes. But... Most didn't. There were actually a lot of faults with the ship, see, and there's some controversy over what went wrong that night."

"Oh..." The merman's face fell and became full of sorrow. "Con- Controversy?"

Nodding, Arthur tilted his head. "People don't actually know exactly what happened. But some people think it was on purpose, or it was an accident but the captain's or the engineers' fault. The metal used for the ship was brittle, so the rivets broke and the ship eventually snapped in half. The Titanic had watertight components to stop it sinking, but they weren't high enough to actually help- the company wanted more space for passengers instead. The company made the captain keep driving at a fast speed, because they wanted to be known for the quickest journey, and he ignored iceberg warnings. They also think he took a wrong turn somewhere. They hadn't included enough lifeboats in the final design, so they couldn't get everybody off the ship- and they didn't even fill them completely. All of this because the company running it didn't want to waste their money and wanted to be famous for their ship. There were over 2,000 passengers on the ship... And only about 700 survived."

By then, Alfred's mouth was wide open in horror. "That's horrible!" he cried. "Didn't the people know about the dangers?"

At this, Arthur looked over at the other, raising a brow. "They thought it was unsinkable, remember?"

"But- But wouldn't they have been like 'wait, but there are kinda some things wrong...'?"

Arthur shrugged. "That's why there's controversy over it. People don't understand how they could have messed it up so much. They just didn't realize it was wrong."

"Wow..." Alfred shivered. "I'm glad I was there before I knew the history..."

"Yes. It's a fascinating piece of history though..." Arthur murmured sighing. "To think you've actually seen the sunken wreckage."

Alfred tilted his head. "Would you like to go see it?"

"Oh, I'd love to - but how?" Arthur frowned slightly.

Alfred shrugged. "I dunno. But you've got a lot of money, right? I'm sure someone'll take ya! I wish I could... But you can't breathe underwater..."

The Brit chuckled slightly. "Well, thank you for the thought, but it's really rather difficult. It's pretty deep down, so it's not just about money. You need to have qualifications and training and the like..."

"Well, maybe one day!" Alfred said brightly. He leaned over and rested his head on Arthur's shoulder, his body relaxing. His hands moved to rest in his lap and he stared out across the water. "...Hey Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur asked, tipping his head to look at the other.

Alfred's voice was quiet. "What did you think? When... When you first saw me?"

Arthur blinked. "...Why do you ask that?"

"I just wanna know..."

"Oh..." Leaning back, Arthur looked out of the window in thought. "Well... I suppose I was a little shocked at first - I mean, I didn't think mermaids actually existed - but... I couldn't help but be more appalled at how you were treated. I didn't think it was right. And I guess I thought that...you were rather beautiful, so I didn't understand how they could treat you like that."

Alfred's eyes were fixed on Arthur's face, drinking in his words. "You wanna know why? Cuz they saw me as money, as a profit. Yeah they thought me pretty, but I was an animal to them." He shrugged and then nuzzled to Arthur's neck. "I'm glad you came along."

Arthur blinked, quickly looking over at the other before giving him a soft smile. "Yes. Me too."

Cooing happily, Alfred closed his eyes. "Yeah... Arthur? Tell me about the outside world too?"

"Oh? Is there anything in particular you want to know?"

"Just everything!"

Arthur chuckled softly at this. "Everything... Well, it's rather nice out there, I suppose. This part of the world's really noisy, with lots of buildings and cars and shops and people. But there's really beautiful areas too, all over, full of trees and green grass and lovely forests - there's a lot of them in England. The air there's good too- very fresh.

"That sounds so nice..." Alfred's eyes were glazed over as he tried to picture what Arthur was describing.

"Yes..." Arthur smiled gently at the other, but then noticed his face and dropped his own gaze, feeling bad.

After a few moments Alfred shook it off and smiled. Then his own smile faded when he looked upon Arthur's face. "...Arthur? What's wrong?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked, looking up at the other, then shook his head. "Just... I forgot, you're stuck in here all the time... I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. I find things to do." Alfred gave him a small nudge. "Don't feel bad, please..."

Arthur gave a tiny smile. "...All right," he murmured.

"Yeah!" The smile, however, wasn't to Alfred's tastes, so the merman lifted his hands and placed his fingers at the corners of the Brit's mouth to stretch it wider. "There."

Arthur blinked, eyes widening. "Wha-" Oh, yes, Alfred had done this before- the memory of it came back and Arthur laughed softly. "What are you doing?"

Cheeks flushing pleasantly at the laugh, Alfred nodded. "Smile more! And be happy!"

"I-" Arthur shook his head gently. "You are absolutely ridiculous, you know."

"Wh- Ridiculous? Isn't that a bad thing?" Alfred's hands trembled softly and he lowered them.

"Hm? Not at all..." Arthur's face grew worried. "You're ridiculous, but in a good way."

"Oh." The merman relaxed and brought his hands up to cup Arthur's cheeks once more. "What good way?"

"Well... You know..." Arthur shrugged and smiled softly. "So silly and sweet and... Caring."

"C-Caring?" Alfred's heart swelled. "You think I'm caring?" He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Arthur's, and smiled. "Thank you..." he murmured, closing his eyes.

For a moment Arthur's breath caught and he turned a pleasant pink, but he was unable to tear his eyes away. "Y-You're welcome..." he mumbled.

Alfred's eyes opened again and he stared right at Arthur, a small smile curving on his lips and his gaze warm. His hands also curled around to tangle in Arthur's hair, keeping him in place. "Arthur..."

The Brit's breath shivered softly then, mouth slightly open, entranced. "W-What...?" he finally, quietly, breathed.

Alfred himself was trembling under the intensity of the unsaid (and largely unknown) emotions spanning the distance between them. After another few moments he ducked his head and buried his nose against Arthur's neck. "...Nothin'," he ended up whispering.

Arthur let out a breath, blinking as a small shudder ran down him. "All right," he murmured back, eventually wrapping his arms around the other.

A small coo worked its way from Alfred's mouth at the feeling, and he happily melted into Arthur's arms. "'Rthur..." he mumbled softly.

"Hm?" Arthur replied quietly, tilting his head slightly and leaning it into Alfred's.

"I'm just so happy when I'm like this with you..."

"...Yes. Me too," Arthur mumbled, lifting a hand to the other's head, letting his fingers card through his hair.

The breath shuddered out of Alfred at the feeling, and he leaned into the hand. "Yes, that feels so good... Oh, Arthur..." he moaned.

Arthur's face reddened as his eyes grew wider. "D-Does it now?" he asked, stroking the other's head a little.

"Yeah... So good, Arthur..."

"I-I- That's good..." Arthur's fingers tightening a little in Alfred's hair.

The merman whimpered in happiness. He closed his eyes again, and he was so relaxed that moments later he drifted off.

After a few minutes of silence, Arthur frowned softly. "Alfred...?"

The other blond snoozed on contently, a smile on his lips.

Looking down, Arthur raised his brows and sighed softly. "...You planning on staying like that?"

Alfred apparently was, for he just tightened his hold on Arthur's body.

Chuckling softly, Arthur shook his head and tried to move Alfred away. "Come on, you..."

Alfred growled low in his throat, his arms tightening even more.

Arthur blinked, rubbing the other's back softly. "This can't be a very comfortable sleeping position."

"Mmm?" Alfred stirred, cracking his eyes open a bit. "No."

"No?" Arthur raised his brows. "You're awake?"

"Noooo..." Alfred slumped forward again, his lips pressed against Arthur's shoulder.

"...You sound like you are."

There was a snore, then the sound of breathing.

Arthur sighed and poked the other, then decided it was futile and just stood there. Hopefully he would wake up soon...

Soon enough, though, Alfred did start to get muscle cramps from his position and woke up. He looked around blearily for a moment, then realized his position and flipped back into the water. "Sorry!" he said, red-faced, when he came back up again. "You were so warm and nice I just fell asleep..."

Raising a brow, Arthur grinned slightly. "I noticed."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Alfred was worried that he'd offended the human.

"What?" Arthur frowned slightly, confused. "It's fine, Alfred..."

"Is it?" Alfred relaxed. "Okay... That's good!" The merman approached again, rubbing up against Arthur's legs.

Jumping slightly, Arthur blinked and looked down at the other. "Ah... Yes..."

Alfred smiled happily and continued swimming loops in front of him. Soon though, Arthur had to leave again, and the merman cheerfully said good-bye. He didn't like being alone, but he knew Arthur had to work and would come back to him so he endured it.

Arthur was reluctant himself to get back to work, but he had to after all, and so he sat down at his desk for the rest of the day- but not before he'd ordered the floating mattress. Once he'd finished, he and Alfred played until the pool room until it was time for bed, and the Brit retired to his room.

The next morning, Alfred was woken early by the sun and sat most of the morning watching some romance re-runs on a random channel. The programs got him thinking heavily, and by the time Arthur came in at around eleven he had his mind made up. "Arthur?" he asked the moment the door swung shut after the Brit stepped in. "Will you kiss me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice lil ending point for you guys~


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this is the longest chapter...

Arthur immediately stopped in his tracks, turning bright red as he stared at the other. "Wh-What...?"

"Kiss me, please!"

"Wh- Why the hell-?!" Alfred wanted to  _kiss him_?

Alfred shrank back, his face falling. "I-I just..." He looked down. "I'm never gonna find a mate. I'm never gonna k-kiss someone... I just wanted to experience it, but that's okay..." He turned away, sinking lower in the water.

Arthur blinked. Ah, so that was it. Shifting from foot to foot, Arthur lowered his gaze himself, feeling a little guilty. "...All right," he mumbled.

"You don't gotta if you don't wanna," Alfred muttered back, not turning around.

"No, it's fine," Arthur replied quietly. "...I-I didn't realize, I'm sorry."

Alfred finally twisted around, though he still didn't dare to look up. "R-Really?"

"Of course," Arthur said, giving the other a small smile and crouching down.

The merman's heart fluttered and he moved closer to Arthur. His face tilted up and his eyes closed as he waited. After taking a deep breath, Arthur shifted forwards and took the merman's face in his hand. Then, after a moment, he leaned forwards and gently pressed his lips against Alfred's. His heart taking off, Alfred's eyes flew open for a bit before closing again. He leaned into the kiss, propping himself up on his arms.

Arthur simply pressed forwards a little for a moment before starting to move slightly, keeping the kiss soft. It felt amazing, better than anything Alfred had ever felt or tasted before, and he never wanted it to end. When Arthur started moving Alfred mirrored him instinctively, their lips molding and moving together. Almost lost in the kiss, Arthur continued moving along with the other before he snapped out of it and gently pulled away, face hot.

"A-Arthur..." Alfred's eyes opened slowly, and his cheeks were flushed as he continued looking up at the human.

After a moment, Arthur himself glanced up at the other, his head still tilted down. "...Hm?" He asked quietly.

"Thank you. That was...amazing," Alfred whispered back, his eyes wide.

"I-I-" Arthur's already red face became even darker. "Don't worry about it..."

Hand reaching out, Alfred stroked Arthur's cheek. "Really. If I'm only to ever have one kiss, I'm glad it was with you."

Arthur blinked and looked at the other, his eyes widening. "Alfred..." he murmured, shifting slightly. "My kisses are nothing special..."

"Arthur. To me it was."

Not long after, Arthur smiled a bit. "...All right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me." Alfred smiled back and touched his own lips with a finger.

"Okay," Arthur replied quietly.

The next moment Alfred vanished under the water to clear his head, and when he came up again he was no longer blushing. "Did you bring food?"

"Ah, right, I did, yes," the Brit said quickly, suddenly remembering and standing up to go and get it.

The merman waited for him eagerly, his features turning predatorial.

As soon as Arthur got the fish, he brought it back to the other, sitting by the poolside.

"Give it or throw it?"

"I don't mind, whichever you prefer."

"Throw 'em! And throw 'em high!" Alfred surged to the middle of the pool, readying himself.

Grinning softly, Arthur nodded, throwing a piece out and over the pool in a high arc.

In an instant Alfred had shot up, muscles rippling in the sunlight, and caught it. He fell back to the pool with a mighty splash. "More!"

Arthur chuckled. "All right, all right," he said, throwing a few pieces this time.

Alfred eagerly scrambled after them, twisting into various poses and subconsciously showing off his muscles a little bit.

Arthur smiled more, his gaze admittedly straying a little once or twice, though he quickly snapped it back up. It wasn't his fault Alfred's body (or, the human part of it, at least) happened to be his usual type.

Alfred, meanwhile, couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. Belatedly, he realized that he never should have asked for it. He wanted more now. He wanted Arthur to kiss him more. The merman was so tangled up in his thoughts that during one of his leaps he almost crashed into the edge of the pool, but luckily twisted out of the way at the last moment. He shook his head- now was not the time to think about what he couldn't have. Collecting himself again, Alfred leapt after another fish. After a while it was all gone and he swam slowly to the edge.

"Hi there, Artie!" he said, eyes bright. "I realized I never told you hello, heh..."

"Hello," Arthur replied with a smile. "Was the fish alright?"

"It's always perfect!"

"Heh, that's good."

"Yes!" Alfred swam up against him, placing his chin in Arthur's lap and trying not to stare at the human's lips. "How are you?"

"Ah, well, uh... I'm all right, yes," Arthur replied with a small chuckle, his eyes intently locked on the others', lest they otherwise slip away.

"All right?" Alfred wasn't really satisfied with that. "Tell me more! How did you sleep? How do you feel?"

"Wh- Well, okay. I slept well, thank you. And I feel good."

"That's good..." Alfred's expression relaxed into a warm smile.

Arthur couldn't help but smile back at that. "Yes. What about you?"

"I'm okay! I've got a full belly and nice company. What more could I want?"

"I-" Arthur chuckled slightly. "Really..."

"Really what? It's true!"

"Heh, well thank you."

"Don't mention it! Hey Arthur, read me another book?"

"Another book? Now? All right- is there anything you want to hear about?"

"Umm... Umm... More nice stories like the other one!"

"Okay," Arthur replied with a grin, quickly going to retrieve a book and sitting by the pool again.

As with the last story, Alfred lapped it up eagerly. It was different than the last one Arthur read to him but it still enthralled him nonetheless. As Arthur read, Alfred had sat down next to him and looked over his shoulder, placing the writing to the words as he listened. He could read most of it on his own, but Arthur helped him figure out that last little bit he didn't know.

They only got through about the first quarter of the book, though with some pleading and puppy eyes Alfred managed to up that to the first third. Finally, when they reached that spot, Arthur really had to go back to work. Alfred nodded, drooping a little bit, but he was cheered by the fact that Arthur would be back later. Plus there was that really cool movie about someone called a hobbit playing later, which he wanted to see. So he slipped back into the water and waited for Arthur to leave.

He left not long earlier, moving to his study to work- the Brit had a new first chapter draft to look over to see if he was interested in the story.

Not an hour had passed before his phone rang shrilly, Gilbert on the other end.

With a sigh, Arthur answered. "Yes, hello?"

"Yo, Eyebrows!"

"Hello, Gilbert. What is it?" Arthur replied, raising a brow.

"So I was thinking we should all get together and have a dinner at your place tomorrow night, as thanks for all the times you've watched Fritz. We'll bring the food, of course."

Arthur blinked in his surprise, his eyes widening. "Wh- As thanks?!" Gilbert was  _thanking_  him? Ah, Matthew probably put him up to it- but still, it was a very kind offer. Wait- they were coming round his house, and bringing the food? That was odd... Arthur shook it off anyway, not one to pass up a nice dinner. "Well... All right, then."

"Yeah! Awesome, so we'll uhh, just come by at like six? Does that work for you?" Gilbert asked sweetly.

"Uhh...sure, I-I guess..."

"Awesome!" Then Gilbert hung up, the faintest snicker heard before the line went dead.

Arthur blinked at the now silent phone, utterly confused and just a little happy. Then he stood to go and tell Alfred the news.

The merman was excited, hoping that Fritz would be able to sneak away at some point to see him. He was wriggling around eagerly for the rest of the night and didn't sleep for a long time. Consequently, he took lots of naps the next morning, but that was all right because Arthur was cleaning the house and getting ready. Finally, when it was around 5:30, the Brit entered the pool room to spend some final moments with him, and Alfred had to be careful not to get his clothes wet.

"You look happy, Arthur..."

"Ah, do I?" Arthur said, a small, pleased flush to his face. "I-I'm not really that much..."

"Yeah you are! And I'm happy that you're happy!" Alfred gave him a soft smile. Seeing Arthur happy and smiling always made his heart skip a beat.

"Oh, well... Yes," Arthur murmured, smiling a little back. "That's good."

"Come visit me at some point though?" Alfred pleaded. "Doesn't have to be for long..."

Arthur nodded. "Of course. And I'll bring you some food too."

"Really?" Alfred's tail flicked eagerly in the water. "That would be awesome! Thanks!"

"Not at all," Arthur replied with a smile.

"Mmm..." Alfred rested his chin on the edge of the pool, a few inches away from Arthur's leg. "I hope you have a nice time."

Yes." Arthur's smile quirked up more and he ruffled the other's hair for a moment.

"Ooh-!" Alfred squeaked at the initial contact, but then he sighed happily and leaned into it. "When- When are they gonna be here?"

"Mm, soon, I think."

"Oh... Well touch me until they do?"

"Wh-" Arthur's face darkened a little, but he hid it by ruffling the other's hair fiercely as a distraction. "Fine."

"Thank you, Arthur!" Alfred's rump wiggled a little bit in happiness.

"No problem..." he murmured, stopping and just resting his hand on the other's head.

"Hmm?" Alfred tilted his head so he could look up at Arthur. "Why did ya stop?"

"No reason," Arthur replied, tilting his head a little as well.

"Okay..." Pursing his lips, Alfred sat up straight and tilted his head the other way.

"Hm?" Arthur frowned slightly, shifting a little. "What is it?"

"No, nothin'." Alfred shook his head and sank lower in the water, straightening out completely. "I was just wonderin' if you'd tilt your head again."

Arthur blinked. "Ah, all right..."

"Yeah!" Alfred shook his head a bit and then moved to the center of the pool. "Have a good time, okay?"

"A-Ah..." Arthur slowly lowered his hand and nodded slightly. "Okay..."

"Yeah! And I'm s-" Alfred was interrupted by the doorbell ringing a few minutes early. He smiled sadly. "See you, Arthur." Then he dove beneath the waves.

Arthur blinked, then looked towards the door and stood. "...See you later, then," he mumbled, before heading to the door and opening it.

Gilbert was standing there, holding Matthew's hand and a plate of roast chicken. Fritz was on his other side. "Hey Artie! Hope you don't mind we're early!"

"Ah, evening," Arthur replied with a small smile, greeting the three and standing back to let them in. "Do come in. And it's Arthur, how many times?"

Matthew chuckled a little as he stepped in. "It's been a while, Arthur. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm grand, thank you for asking. Yourselves?"

"Pfft, you could tell me a thousand times and you really think I'll listen?" Snickering, the albino entered, Fritz on his heels, and moved to the dining room table to set down his load.

"Of course not, but it's worth reminding you," Arthur said with a huff.

"Mm, you should come visit more often- we're only one floor below," the Canadian said.

"Really, Artie." Gilbert looked at him. "You've got friends."

Arthur blinked back at the other, his face flushing a little as he looked away and huffed. "I-I know! You say that as if I'm a lonely old hermit or something!"

"Well, you are," Gilbert said, snorting and slinging his arm around Matthew's shoulders.

Matthew responded by gently elbowing the other to reprimand him, but smiling and leaning into the other anyway. "Still, it'd be good for you to get out more."

"...I-I'm not a lonely old hermit!" Arthur exclaimed, mouth slightly agape.

"See? Even Mattie agrees with me!" Gilbert leaned down and gave Matthew a kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, stop it," Matthew replied with a chuckle as Arthur huffed and set the table.

"Heh." Gilbert leaned closer to him, kissing his ear and whispering into it at the same time. "You got the stuff?"

"Nn... Yes, yes," Matthew replied with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. "Couldn't we just ask him?"

"Nah..." Gilbert's breath ghosted against his ear. "This way's much more...fun."

Eyes gently shutting, Matthew sighed again. "Ah, fine, if you really have to..." Then he opened his eyes again, glancing up at the other with a small smirk. "...You're such a bad influence on me."

"Heh, you love it." Red eyes warm, Gilbert leaned down to peck Matthew on the nose. " _Und ich liebe dich_."

Matthew smiled softly at this. "I love you too," he said quietly. "Now let's get back to Arthur, eh? Find out about this mystery man."

" _Ja_!" Gilbert gave him a squeeze and took his place at the table. "Hey Kirkland, you have some drink?"

"Hm?" Arthur looked up at the others, having just finished laying the table. "Of course, I have some wine...?"

"That's fine! But how about something non-alcoholic for the kid?" Gilbert gestured to Fritz. "Y'know, he's not quite old enough."

"Of course, of course, there's plenty." Arthur nodded to the child. "Do you want to come and choose something?"

"Yeah, go off for a bit with Uncle Eyebrows." Gilbert gestured for Matthew to come sit on his lap.

"Can you  _not_  encourage your child to call me that?" Arthur said with a huff as he took Fritz out, leaving the Canadian to happily place himself in Gilbert's lap.

"Too late, Kirkland!" Gilbert yelled back, before focusing his attention on the man before him. "Well hey there, little Birdie," he purred, wrapping his arms around Matthew's shoulders.

The Canadian blushed a little, smiling pleasantly. "Mm, hello," he replied.

"Mattie, Mattie..." Hand reaching up to tangle in the blond hair, Gilbert forced Matthew's head closer and nuzzled to his ear.

"Mm, Gil..." Matthew murmured, closing his eyes and wrapping his own arms around the other.

"Hey. Hey Mattie," Gilbert breathed. "Once we find out about Arthur's lil friend let's send Fritz over more often so we can have awesome sex more."

Matthew chuckled slightly at this. "Well, do you think he'll be okay with that?"

"Hey, if he's got a mermaid friend to keep him occupied as well as Arthur's books, he'll be fine."

"Mm, that's true. ...You don't actually think he's going to be a mermaid, do you?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't think Fritz would lie..." Gilbert met Matthew's gaze. "If he is, then that's awesome!"

"Mm, true. But mermaids are myths..." Matthew shrugged a little. "It was probably just some secret boyfriend that was in the pool, you know what his imagination's like."

"Pfft, probably." Snickering, Gilbert kissed down Matthew's ear to his jaw, and then on to his neck.

"Ah- Gil..." Matthew's eyes slipped shut, and he hummed softly.

"Hmm?" Smirking, Gilbert bit down ever so softly.

Matthew shivered a little, betraying the small frown on his face by leaning into it a little. "Nn... We're at somebody else's house, you know," he murmured.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Pouting, Gilbert leaned back. "Get to your seat then, Birdie. I think they're coming back."

Right on cue, Arthur and Fritz walked in, only just missing the scene before as Matthew sat down.

Gilbert smiled at them. "So you found something to drink?"

Fritz nodded, a tiny smile on his face and a glass of juice in his hands.

"Awesome. So let's eat now?" Eat, get Arthur comfortable, tie him up, then check on the boyfriend in the pool. Gilbert's grin grew.

Arthur, oblivious to all this, nodded. "All right," he said, taking his seat.

There was a comfortable air around the table for the first few minutes as they got settled and passed all the dishes around to get a bit. Then silence for a few minutes while everyone tasted the food, and then Gilbert started his master plan. "So Arthur," he said over a bite of chicken. He quickly swallowed it. "How's your love life going?"

"Love life?" Arthur raised his eyebrows, eyes widening a little as he lowered his fork. "A-Ah, well it's all right, I suppose... Nothing particularly special..." he said, pausing before quickly shoving another forkful in his mouth.

"Nothin' special, huh?" The red eyes gleamed in the light. "So who's the...lucky guy?"

"Wh-What?" Arthur sputtered, turning red, before quickly swallowing. "What lucky guy?"

"Well you said nothing special so... Is it a quiet relationship? Secret? All hush-hush? From your reaction, there definitely is someone..."

"I-I- no! There isn't anyone!"

"Reeeaaaally now?" Gilbert's smile turned wicked. "Mattie, get him!"

"Get me- wh-" Arthur frowned, perplexed as Matthew came up behind him and pulled out a rope. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur..." Matthew said awkwardly, quickly tying the Brit up.

"Yes, yes, good Birdie!" Gilbert looked approvingly at the handiwork when Matthew was done. "Now Fritz! Lead us to the supposed mermaid!" He turned to Arthur. "Don't worry, Eyebrows, we won't hurt him. We just want to meet him!" Then he gestured for Fritz to go.

" _What_?" Arthur's eyes widened and he looked between the three.

Fritz himself seemed surprised, and he looked up at his father. " _V-Vati_?"

"It's all right, Frederick." Gilbert knelt down to the boy's level. "Don't worry, buddy, no one's gonna get hurt because of my awesome plan. Now take us to Alfred?"

Fritz blinked slightly, but then nodded, dumb, and looked apologetically at Arthur, who was staring back. After another moment of awkward shifting, Fritz shuffled to the door to lead them to the pool room.

A few minutes later, Alfred looked up, surprised when the doors opened. Arthur was coming in sooner than he expected- That wasn't Arthur. Again. It was Fritz. But this time, he had with him two grown men.

The merman yelped with fear, diving down and emerging on the far side of the pool, pressed flat against the wall. "Wh- What do you want?! Who are you?!"

"Ah- Alfred- D-Don't worry, they're just my dads!" Fritz cried, coming forward, panicked.

Meanwhile, Matthew's eyebrows arched, still not quite believing what he was seeing.

Eyes wide for a moment more, Alfred suddenly snapped out of it and his eyes then narrowed. "You- You told them! You told people!" His arms rose to hug his own torso tightly, and he curled up. "Go away!"

Fritz's eyes widened even more, his face dropping. "B-But it's just my dad..!"

"No! Go away, I don't like you!" Alfred's tail swished panickedly in the water.

Flinching, Fritz looked down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, trying not to cry. "I-I just told  _Vati_  because he's my dad and- and it's different with him, and, and..." The child trailed off as he mumbled, biting back the small sniffles.

"He's still someone!" Alfred cried back. "I told you not to!"

"Hey, hey..." Gilbert stepped forward warningly. "Watch it, he's just a kid."

"And I'm the only one of my kind!" Alfred growled softly, taking on a protective stance. "I told him not to tell!"

"I just- I just-" Fritz was crying by now, sniffling as he chewed on his lower lip.

Then Matthew stepped in. "Hey... Listen - Alfred, right? - we're not going to hurt you..." he said quietly.

Alfred did feel bad about making the kid cry, but he tried not to show it. "That's still betraying my trust!"

Flinching, Fritz hunched over, sobbing softly.

Gathering the boy up into his arms, Gilbert hugged him tightly. He glared softly at Alfred. "Seriously, watch it."

"Then watch your child!" Alfred thrashed around in the water. "If he tells the wrong person-"

"He wouldn't!"

Hissing again, Alfred bared his teeth.

"Everyone, BE QUIET."

Arthur was standing in the doorway, hands still tied behind his back around the chair, having finally managed to stand and get to the pool room, and he glared at everyone in the room.

Jolting back, Alfred sank lower in the water while Gilbert whirled around to stare at him in shock.

Even Fritz stopped, hiccupping softly and clinging tighter to Gilbert and staring wide-eyed at the man now standing in the doorway.

"...Somebody untie me. Now."

Matthew quickly came forward, trying to figure out the knot he'd made.

The merman shrank back even more in the water. "A-Arthur..."

"Alfred... I'll talk to you later." The Brit waited until he was untied, then looked around the room. "...Anybody care to explain to me what the  _hell_  is going on?"

Gilbert shrugged. "We wanted to meet your fishy boyfriend." He stroked Fritz' hair softly, trying to calm the boy.

"He's not-!" Arthur huffed and turned red. "Whatever, that isn't important right now- you  _tied me up_."

"Yeah, well would you really have told us the truth?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "You tied me up in my  _own home_ , burst into a private room, and caused chaos."

"Eh, no serious harm done. You got out of it anyway." Gilbert grinned. "Plus what's the fun in life without a little chaos?"

Arthur simply glared, a small growl coming from his throat. "Get out of this room."

Gilbert gazed evenly back at him, and then nodded. "Fine. C'mon, Birdie." He strode from the room.

Arthur watched them leave, before turning his eyes back to Alfred and sighing. "...I'm so sorry."

"Y-You're not mad?" Alfred still stayed low in the water, watching Arthur warily.

Arthur watched him for a moment carefully. "...Of course I'm mad. But you didn't deserve that."

"I-It's okay..." Alfred bit his lip, remembering Fritz's tears and starting to feel bad. "I don't think he meant badly..."

"Of course he didn't. He's only ten." Arthur sighed slightly. "Alfred, although I do understand where you were coming from, you were pretty harsh with him."

Alfred flinched back, his face falling. "S-Sorry..."

Arthur shook his head. "It's all right. It's not me you should be apologizing to."

"I was scared!" Alfred held himself tightly, his arms wrapping around his torso.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, come here," Arthur said softly, holding his arms out to the other.

"Arthur!" Alfred surged towards him, practically hurling himself into Arthur's arms.

"Oof-" Arthur hugged the merman gently, softly stroking his hair. "You're not light, you know..." he murmured. "I know you were scared, and I'm sorry you had to go through it. I completely understand, but still, you should apologize to the poor boy, hm? He doesn't realize it was wrong."

Alfred ducked his head. "A-All right... But he's gotta know it's wrong..."

"Of course, I'm going to reprimand him, don't you worry about that.

"Okay..." Alfred shoved his nose against Arthur's neck and squeezed him tightly.

"It's all right..." Arthur closed his eyes, focusing on stroking the other's back. "I'm sorry about all that..."

"It's okay... I was just scared..." Alfred trembled slightly. "I-I don't wanna get taken away from you..."

"Hey, you won't be," Arthur murmured, giving Alfred a small, reassuring squeeze. "I promise you."

"Really? You promise promise?" Alfred whispered.

"I won't let that happen," Arthur replied seriously.

"Okay... C-Can I talk to Fritz?"

"Of course." Arthur gave him another small squeeze. "I'll go talk to him and then bring him back."

"Okay..." Alfred slowly let go and flopped back into the water.

Arthur nodded. "I'll be back in a moment," he said, before heading off to find the others.

Alfred settled low in the water again, blowing bubbles and waiting.

Meanwhile, Arthur stormed back to the dining room to find Matthew, Gilbert and Fritz. "Right. Explain yourself, Beilschmidt."

Gilbert was lounging around in his chair, Fritz still on his lap and his arms around the boy. "I told you. We wanted to meet your boyfriend. ...I'll admit maaaaybe tying you up wasn't the best way to go around it, but." He shrugged.

"You're damn right it wasn't. You terrified him, you know," Arthur said, glaring at the other.

"I am sorry, Arthur," Matthew said with a small sigh. "I don't think either of us really realized..."

"My point still stands. I... I don't even know what to say. Even for you, Gilbert, I can barely believe you did that."

"Well I mean we weren't really sure if he was  _actually_  a mermaid!" Gilbert huffed. "...I'm sorry, Arthur."

"Good," Arthur replied with a shake of his head. "Even if he was just a human, that was still rude. And to think I thought you actually wanted to come round for dinner..." Arthur then glanced over at Fritz, who was burrowing himself further into his father as the Brit watched, and he let out a sigh. "...Hey, Fritz, come here," he said quietly, his face softening.

"Well I mean we did wanna." Gilbert grinned. "You're pretty cool company. Not quite awesome, but cool." He looked down at Fritz and gently nudged him towards Arthur.

Arthur simply raised a brow and huffed at the man, watching Fritz as he nervously shuffled away from his dad and towards the Brit.

"Come now, look up at me."

After a moment, Fritz hesitantly looked up through his lashes, Arthur crouching down to his eye level.

"Now listen." Arthur started softly. "I understand that you didn't mean any harm by telling your parents, and you were only telling them because they're your parents, right? I know you think it's different with them, but to us, it wasn't. Alfred trusted you to not tell anybody, and he meant your parents too, so of course he's hurt that you told them. If your parents were anybody else, this could have been really dangerous for us- Alfred could have been taken away and hurt by strangers." Arthur noticed that the other was getting rather upset at his words, so he quickly consoled him. "It's okay, luckily that's not what happened. But you have to understand that it could have. If somebody trusts you and asks you not to tell anybody, then you shouldn't break that trust, all right?"

The boy meekly nodded, fiddling with his shirt. "...Um... I-I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"That's okay," Arthur replied with a soft smile. "As long as you understand. Now let's go talk to Alfred hm? And introduce you properly," he said, looking pointedly at the older two men.

"Eheh, sure. Let's go meet your boyfriend the right way." Gilbert stood and pulled Matthew up with him.

Arthur stood too, raising a brow. "One more thing- he's  _not_  my boyfriend."

"Oh, oh. I get it. You haven't confessed yet."

"Wh-" Arthur turned his gaze, frowning at Gilbert with a reddened face. "No! It isn't like that at all!"

"Mhmm." Gilbert snickered. "Not  _yet_. Anyway, let's go see the guy?'

"Not  _ever_ ," Arthur grumbled, but led them back to the pool room. "Alfred..." he called gently as he entered.

"Arthur!" Alfred brightened up when he saw them, though he paused when he saw everyone else.

Taking a small breath in, Matthew glanced at Gilbert, then stood back to let Fritz go first, watching as Arthur gave the boy an encouraging smile and pushed him forwards gently.

Alfred was still slightly hesitant, but he did move forward as well.

Fritz glanced up at him, then quickly down at his shirt again, shifting a little. "...Mm... M'sorry," he mumbled.

"Sorry for what?" Alfred asked quietly, placing his hands on the edge of the pool and looking up at the boy with wide eyes.

"For- For telling..."

"I... Well it's okay this time... But you haveta promise not to tell anyone else. Ever. A-And don't betray me again?" Alfred asked hopefully.

Fritz nodded, sniffling a little. "I-I didn't think  _Vati_  counted, I won't again..."

"Okay..." Biting his lip for a moment, Alfred then held his arms out. "Gimmie a hug?"

Eyes widening, Fritz launched himself into Alfred's arms, clinging to him tightly as Arthur watched with a soft smile on his face.

"Heh-" Alfred caught him and held him back just as tight, glad that he could keep being friends with the boy. "I'm sorry too..." he mumbled to him. "For yelling and scaring you and making you cry..."

Fritz whimpered softly and closed his eyes. "You don't hate me...?"

"I... I don't. I'm...disappointed a bit, but I still want to be your friend. And Arthur told me you didn't know." One of Alfred's hands reached up to stroke Fritz's hair. "So it's okay this time."

"That's good..." Fritz replied quietly. "I am sorry..."

"It's okay..." Alfred gave Fritz a squeeze and then, without even thinking about it, leaned back to press a kiss to the boy's forehead. "But if you want me to be around here then you really can't tell anyone else, okay?"

The little boy nodded slightly, blinking up at Alfred. "Okay."

"Good! So we're still friends?" Alfred's tail swished a little bit.

"Ah, yes!" A small, hopeful smile came across Fritz's face.

"Okay..." Alfred smiled too, then glanced over at Matthew and Gilbert. "Will you introduce me to your dads now?"

Fritz nodded as he glanced at his parents coming forward.

"Hello, I'm Matthew," the Canadian greeted with a small smile. "Eh... I'm sorry about earlier. My husband can be an idiot sometimes-"

"All of the time," Arthur interrupted.

"Well  _excuse_  you," Gilbert replied with a huff. "I am not an idiot, I'm just sharing my awesomeness with everyone."

At that, Alfred couldn't help chuckling a bit.

"Right," Arthur responded, deadpan and raising a brow as Matthew laughed softly and nudged his partner with his elbow.

"Heh." Pleased with the laughter and Arthur's expression, Gilbert leaned down and kissed Matthew for a moment.

Alfred, remembering his own kiss with Arthur, flushed a bit and turned away.

But the albino picked up on that and set a catlike smirk onto the merman. "Oh? Is our little Alfred a newbie to the intricacies of relationships?"

Alfred flushed more. "W-Well I have kissed Art-"

"Wh- Alfred!" Arthur hissed, turning red as his eyes widened.

Matthew's brows rose, and he turned to the Brit. "You have?"

"My my..." Gilbert's smirk grew.

"I asked him to!" Alfred explained quickly, waving his arms around to help make his point. "I just wanted to know what one felt like!"

"A-Alfred, please," Arthur groaned, covering his face.

"Wh-What?" Alfred's face fell when he saw Arthur's posture, and he shrank back into the water.

"Hey, easy there." Gilbert slung an arm around Arthur's shoulders. "You're upsetting your future boyfriend."

"He isn't- oh for God's sake!" Arthur cried, glaring at Gilbert and shifting away to reveal his flushed face.

"Boyfriend?" Alfred tilted his head.

"Yeah!" Gilbert grinned. "Like you and Artie here together like me and Mattie."

"A-Artie? Is that another name for Arthur?"

"Yeah!" The albino smiled. "It's a nickname! Lots of couples have nicknames for each other, so you can call him Artie if you want!"

"Wh- Don't encourage him! A-And we're not a couple anyway!"

"Not  _yet_!" Gilbert whispered conspiratorially into Arthur's ear.

"I- No!" Arthur moved away, frowning, and Matthew came and place a hand on Gilbert's shoulder.

"Come on, Gil, leave him to it," he said, though he had a small chuckle.

"All right, all right." Gilbert let go of Arthur, kissed Matthew, and knelt in front of Alfred. "So! I never introduced myself properly! I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt, but you can call me Gilbert or Gil!"

Alfred was at first taken aback by the albino's forwardness, but after a moment he recovered and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Gil."

"Aww, look at that. You're so innocent and clean-mouthed." Gilbert pretended to wipe a tear. "Let's try and change that, hmm?"

Soon enough, the German was lightly thwacked round the head. "Let's not," Arthur grumbled.

"Oi!" Gilbert looked up at him, pouting. "Why not?"

"Does it matter? Stop doing unnecessary things!"

"It's not unnecessary! He needs to know the ways of the world!"

Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes.

Alfred piped up then. "Artie?"

"Hah!" Gilbert exploded into a fit of snickering and ducked out of Arthur's whacking zone to stand next to Matthew.

Arthur's eyebrows rose and he quickly turned to Alfred- stumbling a little at the misaimed hit he attempted with his turn. "Yes? You don't have to call me that if you don't want to, Gilbert's just being silly."

"I-I do wanna..." Alfred's lips pulled down into a pout and his eyes widened sadly. "I like the name..."

Arthur blinked, his mouth stuttering a little. "I-I... All right..."

"R-Really?" Alfred brightened up instantly.

Off to the side, Gilbert nudged Matthew. "They are so going to get together..."

Matthew laughed and nodded. "Definitely," he said, watching as the two by the pool stumbled over each other and themselves.

"Y-Yes, it's fine," Arthur mumbled back to the merman, smiling a little back shyly.

"Okay." Alfred grinned more broadly and reached out to stroke Arthur's cheek.

Arthur blinked and leaned into the gentle touch a little, shifting a little. He could deal with being called 'Artie' if it was Alfred, probably.

"Artie, Artie..." Alfred smiled even more, pleased with the nickname. He pulled Arthur down more and hugged him tightly, still crooning the name into his ear.

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur paused in surprise for a moment before gently hugging back. Screw his last thought, he actually kind of liked being called 'Artie' when it was Alfred. "...What is it?" he murmured.

"I like saying your name," Alfred whispered.

Meanwhile, Fritz had found his way back to his fathers and was tugging at Gilbert's sleeve.

"Hmm?" Gilbert looked down and then knelt to his level. "What is it, Fritz?"

"They're busy," the boy replied, glancing over at the two men hugging, Arthur looking a little embarrassed. "So I came back here..."

"Heh, good boy. Leave the two of them to develop their gay." Snickering, Gilbert stood and hefted Fritz onto his shoulders.

"Ah-" Fritz quickly wrapped his arms around Gilbert's neck. "Develop? Are they gay?"

"Pfft- Well Mr. Frownface McGrumpypants over there is." Gilbert said, nodding at Arthur. "And then judging from the puppy look in his eyes our lil fishboy is too."

"Oh." Fritz watched them curiously. "Why do they need to develop it?"

"Because they don't realize that they like each other that way." Gilbert smiled softly and kissed the side of Fritz's hair. "Like your  _Papa_  was oblivious for the first few weeks of my attempts at flirting with him."

The boy tilted his head, leaning into it. "He was? How do you flirt?"

"Ah, that's a good question, isn't it?" Matthew appeared besides the two, raising a brow with a smirk on his face directed at Gilbert.

"What?" Gilbert made a face. "My flirting was totally awesome!"

"I know you, Gil."

"...Okay. Valid point. But in this case I'm not wrong!"

"Right, right."

"Well I'm not!"

Alfred, meanwhile, then let go of Arthur and turned his slightly reddened face to their guests. "S-So it was nice to meet you..."

"Ah, you too, Alfred," Matthew replied. "And again, sorry for the intrusion earlier."

"Heh..." Alfred tilted his head a bit. "It'll be a funny story in a few months! And nothing bad happened, so it's okay!"

Matthew inclined his head to the other. "All right then."

"Yeah! Uhm, uhm, did you finish your dinner?"

"Ah... No, we didn't, actually," Matthew replied, glancing at Gilbert.

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Alfred frowned softly. "You can go finish now!" If Alfred was totally honest, he was a bit exhausted from the whole ordeal and could use a bit of peace to think about it all.

After a moment, Matthew nodded. "Okay," he said, smiling at the merman. "Well it was good to meet you."

The four humans headed back to their dinner, and luckily it wasn't cold yet. So they ate it up, chatting as they did, and then the family left to give Arthur and Alfred some time- but they promised to come back later.

In the quiet that followed their exit, Alfred hauled himself out of the water and lay on the side of the pool. His fear had all but faded, and though he was a bit nervous about so many people knowing about him, he felt he could trust the pair from downstairs. And he would be able to learn more things this way. After a few moments he closed his eyes, the tip of his tail swishing a bit in the water.

It wasn't too long after that Arthur returned, peeking round the corner of the pool room door. "Alfred...?"

"Artie!" Alfred shot up, smiling happily. "Did they go?"

"Yes, they did," Arthur said, smiling gently in return. "They said they'd come back to visit, though."

"Oh, that's cool!" Alfred patted the spot next to him. "Come sit!"

Smiling more, Arthur made his way to his usual spot by the pool. "I really am dreadfully sorry about all that."

"I was so scared!" Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and nuzzled close to his side. "But then they seemed okay. I think I like them!"

"I know." Arthur chuckled slightly, placing a hand on Alfred's head. He flushed a little as he remembered Gilbert's words from earlier, but he quickly shook it off. "Yes, they're good people."

The merman turned his face and nuzzled to Arthur's fingers. "I'm glad I can call you Artie..." he murmured.

"A-Ah..." Arthur gave a small chuckle. "You really like it that much?"

"Yes! I do! I like it a lot!" Alfred declared.

"That's silly." Arthur smiled softly, ruffling the merman's hair. "I- I'm glad you think so."

"Well you're silly!" Alfred huffed back and squeaked happily at the ruffling.

"Wh- No I'm not! How am I?"

"...I don't know. But if I'm silly you are too!"

"What kind of logic is that?" Arthur said with a chuckle.

"My logic!" Alfred grinned up at him, his lips brushing against Arthur's hand.

"I-" Conscious of the feeling, Arthur's mind jumped to the kiss, but then he pushed the thought from his mind and smiled softly. "You silly thing."

"You like it though!" Alfred wasn't sure how to react to Arthur calling him a 'thing' - his captors had done it enough and it wasn't pleasant - but he felt that Arthur didn't mean it in a bad way.

Arthur sighed softly, a chuckle coming out of his mouth. "...I do."

"I'm happy that you do!" Alfred shuffled closer to him, pressing right up against Arthur's thigh.

Arthur smiled, humming softly at the feeling. "Heh, of course."

"Yes!" The merman cooed happily, closing his eyes.

Arthur ruffled his hair quickly. "So is there anything you want to do?"

"Be with you..."

Arthur blinked, flushing a pleasant pink. "I- j-just that?"

"Yeah. Just that..." Alfred curled closer to him, wrapping his tail around Arthur's body and holding on tight.

"Ah... All right..." Arthur murmured, leaning into it and wrapping his own arms around the other.

"Artie..." Alfred lifted his head up to find their noses almost touching. He smile and leaned forward, rubbing his nose against Arthur's for a moment before shoving it against the human's neck.

Arthur blinked at the flash of blue eyes in front of him, breath hitching for a moment, before he leaned his head on top of the other.

"...What?" Alfred frowned, a hand going up to Arthur's throat to trace it gently. "You stopped breathing for a sec. Why?"

"Wh-What?" Arthur's breath shivered a little as he glanced down. "I... Did I?"

"Yeah. Just a sec." Alfred thought for a moment. "It was probably nothing... Right?"

Arthur frowned softly. Was it nothing? Why had it happened? But next moment, he'd shaken it off. "Right..."

"Okay. I don't want you to have any breathing problems or anything," Alfred said seriously.

Arthur couldn't help but let out a laugh at that. "I don't, don't worry."

"I'm glad..." Alfred felt himself drifting off and jolted back into the present. "Hey, Arthur? Did you get that pool mattress?"

"Ah, yes. It should be here soon."

"Really? That's awesome! We can sleep on it when it arrives, right?" Alfred shot up suddenly, excitement written all over his face and posture. "We can sleep together then?"

"Ah- y-yes, of course..." Arthur blinked, reddening a little. "Uh... Alfred, you probably shouldn't say it like that though."

"Why not?" Alfred tilted his head to the side.

"It- ah... Usually, 'sleeping together' means, ah...'making love'."

"Making love? But isn't love a good thing?"

"N-No- I mean, yes, but that's not what I mean- um... It's like... Mating...?"

"Oh." Alfred suddenly looked down. How many other times had he said something like that? He remembered all of the previous times Arthur had gotten red and his face fell. "I-I'm sorry..." He slipped off of the pool edge and into the water.

"Hm?" Arthur frowned softly. "No need, you didn't know..."

Nodding, Alfred then smiled softly. "Okay. I'll try not to say uncomfortable things again."

"It's fine." Arthur replied, smiling back a little. "It's not uncomfortable."

"But it's still weird..."

Arthur shrugged. "I knew what you meant. It wasn't weird to me- just try not to say it willy-nilly to just anyone."

"I won't, I promise!" Alfred nodded and allowed himself to sink under the water.

"All right." Arthur smiled a little and tilted his head, watching.

Sensing Arthur's gaze on him Alfred swirled in the water, shooting out and doing a little flip in the air before splashing back and lapping the pool. His mouth was bared in a fierce smile, and he was determined to impress Arthur with his body and movements.

Arthur raised his eyebrows at the movements, his lips quirking into a small smile.

That spurred Alfred on with a squeak, and the merman fluidly changed gears and started doing more complex figures under the water.

Arthur grinned more widely, impressed, and relaxed back to watch.

Alfred leapt out a few more times, twisting his body in the air and coming down with a resounding splash. He laughed when he resurfaced then got right back into it. After a few minutes he stopped, panting, and floated on the surface of the water, his tail gently propelling him towards the Brit.

"Heh, that was pretty good," Arthur said.

"Pretty good?" Alfred looked affronted. "That was better than- than some trained seal in a water park show!"

Arthur chuckled. "Well you're not some trained seal in a water park show! Still, I didn't know you could do all that, it was quite something."

"Was it awesome?"

"Awesome?" Arthur raised a brow- Alfred had apparently already absorbed Gilbert's language. "It was very good, yes."

"But was it  _awesome_?"

Arthur sighed slightly and grinned softly. "...Yes, it was."

"Awesome!" Alfred shot out of the water, managing to almost do a complete loop before falling back with a tremendous splash.

Arthur chuckled and shook his head.

"Artie, when can Fritz come again?" Alfred suddenly asked, freezing in the water.

"Hm?" Arthur blinked, his eyebrows arching. "Well, I'm not sure... Why?"

"I wanna see him again! He can teach me lots of things that you can't since he's a kid! Kids have different thoughts!" Alfred said, grinning.

"Well I have no problem with that, and knowing his parents, neither will they. But you want to see him for more than that, right?"

"Yes! Yes! I want to swim with him and have fun and watch movies and be friends!"

"Heh, good. Well I'll call them and see, then."

"Okay! Do that!" Alfred smiled, then yawned and smacked his lips.

Arthur raised a brow, amused. "You're tired?"

"Well yeah... It's been a tiring day! I met lots of new people!"

"Heh, that's true." Arthur gave the other a smile as he stood. "I'll leave you to get some sleep, then."

"W-Wait!" Alfred reached out to him. "Come down here for a sec!"

"Hm?" Arthur tipped his head, returning to the merman's side.

Alfred grabbed his cheeks and pressed their foreheads together for a moment, his eyes fluttering closed for the duration of the contact. He held Arthur's face there for a good twenty seconds before letting go and pulling back. "I saw walruses do that once!" he explained with a smile. "Or well, something similar. It shows a great bond between two people!"

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening, before he let out a small, soft laugh, grinning slightly. "That's really nice."

"It is? You like it?" Alfred smiled in relief. He had been worried that Arthur would take it the wrong way again, but this time it seemed he hadn't.

"Yes." Arthur flushed pleasantly, smiling softly."You think we have a great bond?"

"I-I think we do..." Alfred looked down bashfully. "I-I've never felt like this with anyone. Never been so close..."

"I-I... Really...?" Arthur murmured, turning redder.

"Yeah. My mom wasn't around that often when I was a kid cuz she had to hunt, I never knew my dad, and I only stuck with Whale for a few months, maybe a year and a half tops, before I split from him..." Alfred shrugged. "And then the humans caught me and I was so scared... And then...you came along."

Arthur tilted his head a little, watching the other. "Alfred..." he said quietly.

"Y-Yeah?" Alfred smiled hopefully and placed his hand over Arthur's.

Arthur's breath caught again at this, and then he smiled softly. "I... Th-Thank you. I feel very close to you as well," he mumbled.

"I'm glad..." Alfred said, then withdrew back into the pool. "Call Gil tomorrow?"

Arthur nodded as he stood again. "Of course."

"Okay. Good night, then?" Alfred gave him a final soft smile.

"Good night," Arthur replied, smiling in return before he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cute little place to leave off for now~


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're sloooooowly moving together now.

He slept that night with a small smile on his face that didn't seem to leave, and he even woke with it the next morning. He saw Alfred as usual, then settled down at his desk to work- but first, he had a phone call to make. Picking up his phone, he flicked through his contacts and pulled up Gilbert's number.

"Heeeeey?" Gilbert's sleepy voice came through the speaker.

Arthur raised a brow at this. "Still in bed at this hour, Beilschmidt?"

"Yeah. Mattie and I have a day off so we're cuddling. Say hi, Birdie." There was a shuffling sound as presumably the speaker was pressed against Matthew's head.

"Mm, good morning... Who?"

"It's Arthur, Matthew," the Brit replied.

"Ah, right. Morning, Arthur."

Gilbert took the phone back. "Yeah. It's not that late. So what do you want?"

"Mm, actually... Alfred was wondering when Fritz would next visit."

"Oh.  _Oh_." Gilbert grinned. "Whenever you want."

"What's with that tone of voice?" Arthur sighed slightly. "I'm not sure, really. But it would be good for Alfred to have someone with him sometimes, when I'm busy working..."

"Just means Mattie and I can fuck more." The albino snickered. "But yeah, sounds good."

Arthur shook his head. "Of course... All right, so I guess whenever he next wants to come round?"

"Yeah! I'll take him down, or maybe Mattie. Good luck with your boyfriend until then!"

"He's not my-!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Gilbert rolled his eyes and hung up.

Arthur huffed at his phone and put it down to focus on his work instead. When he next looked at the clock, it was already evening, and he jolted out of his chair and to the pool room.

Alfred was sprawled out on the pool side, and he started whining when the door open. He was mewling pitifully a few moments later.

Eyes widening, Arthur quickly headed to his side. "A-Alfred- what is it?"

"Left me! Artie left me!" Alfred whined, writhing on the floor. "So long since Artie was here!"

"Wh-Wh- it hasn't been that long..." Arthur said tilting his head.

"It haaaaaas!" Alfred cried, continuing his dramatization.

"H-Hey- I'm sorry, I just- Y-You know I had to work..." Arthur said, biting his lip as he held a worried hand out to the other.

Alfred immediately gripped the proffered limp and yanked Arthur down on top of him. "I-I know!" he wailed, wrapping his arms tightly around Arthur's waist. "It was just longer than usual and I felt so alone! But you're back noooow!"

"A-Ah... Alfred..." Arthur wrapped an arm around the merman. "I'm sorry... I just got really into it..."

"It's okay..." Alfred snuffled into his neck, squeezing him tight. "You're here now..."

"Yes..." Arthur gave the other a squeeze back. "Hm... Hey, the mattress came earlier, by the way."

"Did it?" Alfred looked up at him, his eyes flickering with excitement. "That's awesome! Bring it in!"

"Now?" Arthur raised a brow, chuckling slightly. "Well you'll need to let go of me first."

"...No! Bring it in a few minutes!" Alfred huffed, holding him tighter, almost possessively.

"Ah-" Arthur gasped slightly and chuckled. "All right, fine by me."

"All right!" Squealing happily, Alfred rolled over and into the pool, making sure that Arthur was only underwater for a few seconds.

"Ah..." Arthur blinked down at it then smiled and nodded. "Of course," he said, following the merman.

Happy that Arthur was tailing him, Alfred did little loops and tricks underwater, always making sure that at some point he brushed up against the Brit. He didn't even know why he was doing it, but it made him feel happy and his heart jumped whenever they touched and honestly he just wanted to touch Arthur so much and  _feel_  him everywhere.

And Arthur himself shivered at every touch, and he chuckled pleasantly as he watched Alfred's movements.

Noticing the shivers after a while, Alfred increased the amount of touches. He wanted to see if he could affect Arthur that way more. And he could- Arthur shivered more, letting out a soft sigh every so often and glancing down at Alfred, wondering if it was accidental or not. But Alfred would always simply smile mysteriously at him before going right back into his routine.

Arthur found he didn't mind, smiling back gently.

After another few minutes of this, Alfred finally got bored and floated in the water normally. "Go get the mattress now?"

"Ah, right," Arthur replied, swimming to the edge of the pool and getting out, quickly getting the package and bringing it back.

During that time, Alfred had noticed that Arthur had an exceptionally well-shaped butt, though he waved the thought away as soon as it came to him. He perked up though when Arthur brought the mattress in, swimming closer. "It looks...boxy..."

"Boxy?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Well, it is in a box."

"Hah! Free it!"

Laughing a little more at the merman's wording, Arthur took the mattress out and unfolded it, then pulled the pump out too and started looking for the hole to blow it up.

"...That's going to take a long time to pump up..."

"...Yes." Holding up the pump, Arthur looked over it. "It shouldn't be too bad. It's got a good pump with it."

"Okay! Work it, Artie!"

"I- r-right." It took a while to get it set up, but after a few minutes, Arthur had the pump up and running, and he started pressing on it to pump the mattress up.

Smirking briefly at Arthur's reaction, Alfred watched with curious and wide eyes as the mattress slowly pumped up. "It looks really cool!"

"It- It does?" Arthur replied with a small chuckle.

"Yes! You picked it well!"

"Heh, thank you," the Brit said, then sat back as he finished. "There."

"Lemme at it, lemme at it!" Alfred scrambled out of the pool, suddenly shrieking as his tail scraped heavily over a particularly rough part of the edge of it. Whimpering, he fell back and curled in on himself. A tiny wisp of red stretched from his body and dissolved into the surrounding water and a single blue scale was caught on the edge of the pool.

His eyes widening, Arthur dashed forwards to the merman's side, looking at him in the pool. "A-Alfred?! Oh God- what's wrong-?"

"H-Hurts!" Alfred wailed, sinking beneath the waves and cradling his tail. His shoulders shook with soft sobs.

"Shit- Alfred!" Arthur gritted his teeth, trying to think what he could do, but then ripped his shirt of and splashed into the pool, swimming down to the merman and gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

Sniffling, Alfred raised his head to look at the Brit when he felt the touch, his eyes puffy and red from tears. "H-Hurts a lot!" he whimpered.

Sighing softly and saddened by the other's expression, Arthur nodded to the edge of the pool and started to gently pull Alfred there, supporting him to cause as little pain as possible.

"N-No, no go there!" Alfred struggled against him lightly, not wanting to go near the spot that had hurt him, but also not wanting to hurt Arthur in the process.

"H-Hey, Alfred, it's okay..." Arthur said softly, turning to the other and holding his cheeks gently. "We need to get out of the pool for me to have a look at it, okay?"

The merman still trembled, but the touches on his cheeks helped calm him down. "O-Okay... I trust you, Artie."

"Okay, good." Arthur stroked his cheek a little more before gently pulling him to the edge. "Come on, then."

"I'm coming..." Alfred allowed himself to be dragged along, but he eyed the edge of the pool apprehensively.

Getting out of the pool first, Arthur turned to face Alfred. "It's okay, Alfred. I won't let you get hurt again," he said, holding out his hand

And Alfred trusted him wholly. He took the proffered hand and sniffled, giving Arthur a small smile.

Arthur smiled softly back, carefully pulling Alfred up and even resting his own hand over the edge of the pool so Alfred wouldn't hurt himself again.

Flinching initially as he was pulled up, Alfred's eyes widened when he felt Arthur's hand under his tail. "You'll hurt yourself!" he cried, distressed.

"No, no," Arthur replied, giving the other a smile. "I won't. Don't worry."

"A-Are you sure?" Alfred still didn't look convinced.

"Of course. It's fine, Alfred."

"Okay..." When he was out on land Alfred relaxed, though his face was still screwed up a little in pain.

"Hey, hey, it's okay..." Arthur murmured soothingly, stroking Alfred's hair while moving down to look at the wound.

There was an angry chafe down the side of Alfred's tail, near the hip. It was long but shallow, though it was still bleeding a little bit, and some of the scales around it were dislodged.

"Okay..." Alfred mumbled.

Arthur smiled slightly at Alfred and nodded. "Yes, yes it is. How badly does it hurt?" He asked, looking over the cut with a frown and moving his free hand to lightly touch the area.

"Badly!" Alfred mewled, whining more and flinching as Arthur brushed against the sensitive scales. "It hurts a lot!"

"Ah- sorry-" Arthur quickly pulled his hand away and thought. "Hmm... I have some bandages that should work in water. It'll be good in salt water, but for the moment it should be probably be wrapped up..." Arthur frowned more, unsure what to do.

"I don't know either. Usually in the past I'd just forget about it and let it heal on its own..." Alfred shrugged. "You probably know better than I do though."

Arthur bit his lip, then nodded decisively. "I'm going to go get a bandage for you."

"Okay!" Alfred chirped, giving Arthur a tiny smile. "I trust you know what's best for me!"

Arthur gave a small smile back and dashed off, coming back with a long bandage. "Keep your tail still and flat, then," he said.

"Okay!" Alfred nodded seriously, and to take his mind off what Arthur was doing, he picked up and played with the scale that had fallen off.

Gently, Arthur started to wrap the bandage around his tail, trying to be as soft as possible.

Although Alfred initially flinched when the bandage touched him, the scale helped distract him until the process was done. When Arthur lifted his hands away he inspected his newly wrapped tail, nodding approvingly. After a second of hesitation, the merman then held his scale out to the Brit. "Here. For you."

"Wh-What?" Arthur blinked down at it, then looked at Alfred with wide eyes. "Alfred..."

"What?" Alfred tilted his head. "It's for you."

Arthur looked at the scale a moment more, before accepting it with a chuckle and a soft smile. "I have  _you_  right here, you know," he murmured, stroking the other's bandaged tail gently. "...Does it still hurt?"

Alfred's heart jumped at those words. "B-But I want you to have this too..." he mumbled, stuttering the words out. "And it's okay..." Still, he shifted his tail out of reach.

"Okay." Arthur's voice was soft and, as he leaned down to quickly press a quick kiss to the middle of Alfred's tail, so were his lips.

"A-Arthur?" Alfred jolted, his cheeks flushing red. "What was that for?"

"Just kissing it better," Arthur replied with a small smile, chuckling slightly at the other's reaction.

"Kissing it better?" Alfred frowned.

Arthur nodded. "Yes! It's a saying. If you kiss it, it helps make it better."

"Really? Kiss it more!"

"Wh- Alfred..." Arthur laughed a little, shaking his head, but leaned down to kiss the bandage more anyway.

"More! More!"

"Heh, honestly, you're so needy," Arthur murmured, giving the spot one more kiss.

"I-It hurts!" Alfred pouted as an explanation.

"I know, I know. It should heal soon, hm?" Arthur glanced down at the bandage. "...Do you know if the... The scale will grow back?"

Alfred looked down at the spot too. "I don't know. I've never lost one before. But I don't think so." He shrugged. "Ah, it doesn't matter too much."

"Ah..." Arthur's gaze dropped to the floor. "Are- Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Alfred nodded and placed his hand over Arthur's. "And this way y-you can have a piece of me wherever you go!"

"Piece of you-" Arthur pulled a face, then smiled softly and turned his hand to squeeze the other's a little. "I'd prefer to think of it as... Being near you."

"Ah!" Alfred squeezed his hand back and grinned. "Yes! That's a better way to say it! You'll always be near me!"

Smile growing, Arthur nodded. "Exactly."

"Ah!" Alfred wriggled with happiness, wincing when his tail moved. He stopped moving and the smile returned to his face. "You gotta take good care of it though! I'm trusting you with it, it's special! Like me!"

Arthur moved forward, slightly panicked at that, but nodded again in agreement. "Of course, Alfred," he replied seriously.

"Hey..." Alfred lifted a hand and placed it on Arthur's cheek at the panic. "It's gonna hurt me a bit whenever I move it, but trust me, I'm okay. Don't worry about me. It's okay."

Arthur's face was worried, but he let out a soft sigh and smiled at Alfred's reassurance. "...Okay."

"Yeah..." Nodding himself, the merman rubbed his thumb gently over Arthur's skin. It was so soft, he noticed. "I'm okay now, Arthur. You helped me."

"Okay." Arthur's smile turned soft. "Well I'm glad."

"Could you help me into the water now?" Alfred inched towards the edge of the pool. He probably wouldn't be able to swim for a few hours, if not days, but he would feel more comfortable in the water- plus his tail was already dangerously dry.

"Ah, right. So we'll check out the bed another time?" Arthur said, holding a hand out to the other.

"No! You can still try it out!" Alfred said eagerly, looking up at Arthur with pleading eyes as he took the hand.

"You want me to?" Arthur smiled and gently helped the other back in the pool, taking care to not let it hurt.

"Yes!" Alfred did wince a bit as he slipped in, but once he was in the water the pain quickly faded. "Ah... Thank you, Artie."

"Okay. And it's fine," Arthur replied.

"Then get on!" Alfred commanded cheerfully.

"Hm... Should I put it in the pool first or just try it like this?"

"In the pool! Come join me!"

"Heh, all right." Arthur quickly pulled the mattress to the pool, kicking it in before slowly climbing onto it.

"Careful! Don't fall into the water!" Alfred told him, very helpfully leaning on the mattress.

"I won't," Arthur said, rolling his eyes steadying himself as the mattress wobbled.

"Good!" Grinning, Alfred rested his chin on the material, peering up at the human.

Arthur tilted his head, chuckling a little. "Hm?"

"Well? Is it nice?"

"Ah- well it's a little wobbly at first, but once it steadies out.. Yes, it seems quite comfortable."

"So it'll be good to sleep on?"

"Yes, I think so."

"That's good..." Alfred said, and in the next moment he was attempting to clamber onto the mattress.

"H-Hey, careful-!" Arthur held his arms out to gently help the merman up. "You don't want to tip it over."

Alfred practically fell into Arthur's arms, happily snuggling up to him when he was settled. "Ooh, this is nice..."

"Ah-" Arthur blinked in surprise, but then gently hugged the other back. "Yes, it is..."

"Ah!" At that, Alfred simply moved closer to him. "Artie, Artie!"

"Hm?" Arthur asked softly, tilting his head slightly, just so happening to bury his nose in Alfred's neck in the process.

"Mmm, you stay right here..." Alfred mumbled, closing his eyes and pulling Arthur even closer.

Arthur blinked, then closed his own eyes and relaxed into it. "...I wasn't planning on going anywhere," he murmured back.

"Really?" Alfred smiled and rested one of his hands on the back of Arthur's head. He sighed contently and ran his fingers through the Brit's hair.

Humming softly, Arthur leaned into it. "Mm, of course..."

"Good! I wouldn't have let you leave anyway!"

"Heh, I can tell that," Arthur replied quietly with a small chuckle.

"Yeah! You're mine!" Alfred nodded contently. "...At least for now."

Arthur frowned ever so slightly at this, a little confused. "Hm? What do you mean...?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? You're with me and with no one else and I'm not letting you go for a while so you're mine," Alfred explained.

"Ah..." Arthur gradually flushed a soft red, which he hid in Alfred's shoulder. "...Would that mean you're, in turn, mine? Hm?"

"Yeah!" Alfred lit up at the idea, giving Arthur a little squeeze. "All yours!" He ignored any romantic insinuations of the phrase.

"Mm..." Arthur shuffled closer, unsure how to feel. He really didn't like the idea of 'owning' Alfred, though he obviously didn't mean it like that anyway, and anything romantic was obviously out of the question- but somehow, he didn't really want to disagree.

Pleased when Arthur moved even closer, Alfred squeezed him even more tightly. "Always yours..." he whispered, almost too quiet to hear.

Arthur was relaxed in Alfred's arms by now, too relaxed to really be embarrassed, instead just humming softly. It was like the rest of the world spontaneously slowed down with Arthur's breaths, leaving only him and Alfred in the world.

"...What are you singing?" Alfred asked a few moments later.

Arthur blinked, suddenly snapping out of it. "What?"

"You were making music with your mouth...humming." That was the word. "What were you humming?"

"Oh..." Arthur thought about it for a moment- he hadn't been aware of it- and hummed softly to himself again to figure it out. "Ah- Phantom of the Opera."

"What's that?"

"It's from a film..." After a moment, Arthur started softly singing the song.

"Oh..." Alfred listened in awe, his eyes wide.

After a while, just about managing to get through the duets without it being dramatic, Arthur finished the song and shifted awkwardly.

"That was so nice!" Alfred let go of Arthur, but that was only for a moment so he could applaud him. The next moment, he had his arms wrapped tightly around Arthur's torso once more.

"Ah... It wasn't  _that_  good," Arthur mumbled, gladly going along with the other's hug.

"It was!" Alfred insisted.

Turning a little red, Arthur squeezed Alfred tighter to hide it. "H-How?"

"You have a nice voice and it was a pretty song!"

"Mm... Well, I'm glad you think so," Arthur murmured. "Thank you."

"Anytime!" Alfred impulsively pressed a kiss to Arthur's hair and he wasn't sure what exactly it was, but his heart jumped at the action because it simply felt so  _right_.

Arthur himself let out a tiny gasp, his grip tightening a little at the feeling, and he smiled slightly.

Emboldened by Arthur's positive reaction, Alfred kissed him there once more before burrowing down and nuzzling to him. "I'm really glad you got the mattress, Artie..." he mumbled.

"Yes... It's nice," Arthur murmured back, sighing contentedly and letting his eyes droop shut once more.

Alfred was content to simply lay there with him for a few more minutes, and he would have happily done so for longer if it wasn't for his stomach reminding him of the necessities. After the rather loud growl Alfred went red, and Arthur's wonderful scent - had it always been so nice and so prominent? - wasn't helping. He felt his teeth grow more pointed and immediately wriggled back into the water.

Blinking as he was brought back to reality, Arthur looked down into the water, his eyebrows raised. "Ah- o-oh, I'm so sorry, I haven't given you anything yet. What do you want?"

"Anything," Alfred told him, his voice strained. He shook his head and snapped his teeth before vanishing under the water and swimming slow laps while he waited.

"Ah, right." Arthur nodded quickly before dashing off to get something, coming back with a small selection of meats.

When the door closed signaling Arthur's return Alfred thrashed in the water, creating small waves.

Arthur chuckled slightly - he'd started to find Alfred's predatory hunger rather endearing now - and sat by the edge of the pool, quickly throwing a few pieces in.

The merman immediately leapt up to catch the bits of food, wolfing them down within seconds. He then swam closer to Arthur, bumping against his leg to get more.

"Yes, yes," Arthur said, throwing more in continuously until he'd finished the tray.

And by then Alfred was full. He floated in the pool, belly up and eyes closed. "Thanks..."

"Of course," Arthur replied with a small smile.

"...Did you call Gil?"

"Ah, yes, I did. He said he'll bring Fritz round at some point, I'm not sure when."

"That's cool! I can't wait until he does!" Alfred wriggled happily.

"Heh, of course not." Arthur chuckled softly. "Well I'm sure it won't be too long."

"But now let's spend some more time together?"

The Brit smiled softly and nodded.

"Come in here then!"

Chuckling, Arthur slipped into the pool. "All right, all right."

The merman immediately wrapped around him. "Artie!"

"Heh, what is it?" Arthur asked, gently hugging the other back.

"Nothing, I'm just glad to be here relaxing with you! And my stomach won't bother us anymore so let's go back on the mattress?"

"Mm, all right." Arthur hummed slightly, then pulled back to smile slightly at the other. "You're in a very huggable mood today, hm?"

"Yes!" Alfred leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together. "I wanna hug my Artie!"

Arthur's breath hitched, and he turned red as his eyes met Alfred's blue. "Ah- yes..."

"Do you wanna hug your Alfred too?" Alfred questioned, tilting his head ever so softly.

"Ah, of course..." Arthur replied, smiling slightly as he followed the other's movements.

Noticing this almost instantly, Alfred's eyes narrowed a tiny bit and he tilted his head the other way.

"Hm?" Arthur frowned slightly, chuckling slightly in amusement and tilting his own head to match.

"You're being silly!" Alfred told him, straightening out and leaning away.

"Wh- How am I?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"You're doing what I'm doing!" Alfred told him as he pulled the both of them towards the mattress.

"Ah- and?"

Alfred waited until they were both comfortably settled on the mattress and curled up around each other to answer. "And that makes you silly!" he said with a bright smile, then nestled his head against Arthur's shoulder.

"I- Well that's silly!" Arthur replied with a huff.

"...It's silly that you're silly? What?" Now Alfred was just getting confused.

"It's silly that you say I'm silly!"

"Well you are silly!"

"I-I'm not!"

"You are!" Alfred suddenly lifted his head a bit and gave Arthur a gentle smile. "But I like silly."

"Ah..." Arthur blinked, face flushing a little as he grumbled. "You would..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alfred let out a huff.

"What? You're just that type of person!"

"Well I'm not any type of person!" Alfred huffed, pulling Arthur closer to himself. "I'm a merman!" he declared proudly.

"Wh- I know that!"

"Heh..." Alfred's breath ghosted against Arthur's ear. "But I still like silly! And you, Arthur, you're  _very_  silly..." He smiled.

Shivering slightly, Arthur huffed. "H-How am I?"

"You just are!" Alfred whined, wriggling in even closer. Soon he had Arthur's legs halfway under his tail and Arthur's head nestled against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tighter around the human's waist and squeezed. "Just are..."

"Humph," Arthur grumbled slightly, but gently snuggled into the other, his eyes slipping shut as he let out a small sigh.

"Heh, tired there, Artie?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Brit mumbled, gently burrowing his face in the crook of Alfred's neck.

"Heh, sure you don't," Alfred whispered gleefully, burrowing his nose into Arthur's hair. "But it's okay. You can sleep. I'll protect you..."

"Mm... I'm not tired," Arthur murmured with a soft hum. But of course, the next moment he drifted asleep, warm in Alfred's arms.

"Eheh." Smiling down at the human, Alfred held him close and looked out across the pool, content to rest there for however long Arthur slept.

Not too long after, however, there was a shrill ring, making Arthur jump awake and look around in a panic. He quickly figured out it was his phone and, with cursed slipping from his mouth, swam to the edge of pool to answer it.

Alfred jumped too, and his face fell as he watched Arthur leave.

"Hello?" Arthur greeted a little gruffly, annoyed at being woken up. A small frown came over his face at the response. "...Free? For what?" Arthur listened to the man on the other line for a minute, but then grew tired of this and shook his head. "Look, just tell me what's going on, okay-  _What_?!" The Brit flared, eyes widening as he turned around and leaned on the table. "They can't- oh for fuck's sake, they're the one with the problem, why can't they come here?! I don't give a damn about that- Are you serious?!" Arthur waited for the response, but clearly didn't like what came as a growl came from his throat. "Well tell her to shove it up her arse!" he shouted. "Bloody fickle twat, she is- fine. Fine, whatever, email me the details, but give me one more day than that, for Christ's sake. Good. Yes. Great, bye." Then the phone cut off and Arthur looked at it with a sigh.

"A-Arthur?" Alfred was in the water, peeking around the mattress. Seeing Arthur like that- it was kind of scary. And he never wanted to be on the receiving end of such a tone.

"...I'm fine," Arthur muttered after a moment, stuffing his phone back in his jacket pocket and sliding to the floor.

The merman didn't look convinced, and he kept back. His eyes were wide and nervous, and he clutched the mattress tightly. "Wh- What happened?" he asked softly.

"Nothing. I just have to go on another trip in a couple of days."

"Oh, you are?" Alfred's face further fell. "I-I'm sorry!"

"Mhm. Why can't she fucking do it herself...?" Arthur grumbled, hissing the words out.

Alfred flinched again, drawing more back. "Wh- What?"

Noticing the flinch, Arthur hung his head guiltily, but he was too frustrated to do much about it. "Nothing," he murmured. "Just talking to myself."

"O-Okay..." Alfred hesitantly drifted closer. When he reached the edge of the pool he reached out and wrapped his fingers around Arthur's wrist. He gently stroked the skin, attempting to comfort the man.

Arthur started at the touch, his eyes flicking to Alfred, and he blinked, before letting out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, Alfred..." he murmured.

"It's okay..." There was still a hint of fear in Alfred's eyes, though he didn't let up his stroking.

"Mm..." Inspecting him a moment more, Arthur sighed again. "...One of our writers is causing a fuss. She did something wrong and is blaming the mistake on us and... Well, I need to go sort it out. It's already making the company look bad, and... Well, I just have to go."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Alfred gently tugged Arthur's hand closer and nuzzled to his fingers. "Don't be mad though, please."

Arthur smiled a little at this, though he still looked a little guilty. "...Okay. I'm sorry."

"Ah!" Alfred lit up when he saw the smile on Arthur's face. "Good, no more being angry!"

"Well of course I'm still going to be annoyed at it." Arthur huffed a little, but then shrugged with a half-smile. "But I suppose I can put up with it."

"But..." Alfred thought for a moment. "You're here with me now, right? You're mine. So don't be angry now," he said slowly, hoping that his words wouldn't offend Arthur more. "And whatever the problem is, you'll resolve it soon! And I mean... I don't want you to go, but I know you gotta. But you'll be back soon, and I'll be fine."

Arthur blinked, before a soft smile came over his face. "Yes... Thank you, Alfred." Shifting slightly, he glanced down. "I... Don't suppose it'd be too much to ask for a hug?"

Alfred's eyes widened. "You- You want a hug from me?" His gaping mouth slowly stretched into a broad grin. "You don't even gotta ask!" he declared, pulling back and opening his arms invitingly. "C'mere, Artie!"

"What's wrong with that?" Arthur asked with a huff, leaning over to hug the other gently.

"I mean I will always wanna hug you! You can just do it whenever ya want and I'll be okay with it!" Alfred said as he hugged back. At first he was okay with their slightly awkward positions, but after a few minutes he decided that he had had enough of that and tipped backwards, pulling Arthur into the pool on top of him.

The Brit landed with a splash, and though he dug slightly into the bandage around Alfred's tail, Alfred hid his wince by hiding his face in Arthur's neck. He wrapped wholly around him, squeezing him tight.

"This is much better, yeah?"

Arthur made a gasp of surprise as they fell in, but soon found it to be comfortable and closed his eyes. "...Yeah," he murmured.

"I'm so glad you think so..." Keeping the both of them afloat, Alfred gently drifted across the surface of the pool.

"Mm..." Arthur relaxed quickly, leaning gently into Alfred and feeling warm despite being half in the water.

"Heh, hey there Artie..." Alfred murmured to him, happily giving him a little squeeze.

Arthur raised a brow, smirking a little. "You said hello a few hours ago."

"So? You went away for a bit... So hello again!" Alfred smiled.

"Heh, all right. Hello," Arthur mumbled, grinning up at Alfred.

"Hi..." Alfred stared at that smile, seeming to get lost in it.

Arthur watched the other for a moment. "...Alfred?"

"Hmm?" Alfred suddenly snapped out of it and looked up into Arthur's eyes.

"What is it?" Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"You have a pretty smile," Alfred said simply.

"Wh-What?" Arthur blinked, flushing slightly, and his smile, though now a little incredulous, was still there.

"I like your smile!" Alfred declared, then buried his face in Arthur's neck.

"A-Ah-" Arthur raised his brows a little and held Alfred there. "A-Alfred? I- th-thank you..."

"You're welcome!" The merman's voice was muffled.

"Mm... Alfred, what is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay!" Alfred squeaked. "Don't worry about me!"

"A-Are you sure? It doesn't sound like it..."

"I am, please!" Alfred didn't want to lift his head to reveal his red cheeks. Since when did he even get embarrassed about telling Arthur how cute parts of him were?!

Arthur blinked and raised a hand to the back of Alfred's head. "Ah... Okay..."

"Yeah..." Happily leaning into the touch, Alfred eventually pulled back a few minutes later when he'd calmed down some.

"Hm... I think it's probably time to go to bed for me," Arthur murmured then, sighing slightly.

"R-Really?" Alfred clung to him a bit more tightly for a moment, but then let out a soft breath and let go. "Okay."

"Yes." Arthur smiled sadly at the other. "I'm sorry, Alfred. I just- I've had a busy day, and it's already getting late, I should go..."

"N-No, I know." Alfred looked down and moved away. "Good night then, Artie," he mumbled.

Arthur sighed once more, then frowned slightly and huffed playfully. "Hmph, are you not going to give me a proper goodnight, then?"

Face brightening with hope, Alfred turned back to him. "Wh- What?"

"Come on, give me a proper send off. I won't let you get away with not saying goodnight properly, you know," the Brit said, raising a brow.

"Proper... Artie!" Alfred flew at him, wrapping him up in a warm hug and nuzzling close. "I thought you didn't want it!" he whimpered.

"Wha- When did I ever say that?" Arthur said with a small huff.

"You didn't, but I just thought..."

"Well, that's ridiculous," the Brit replied, sighing softly and wrapping his arms around the other.

"S-Sorry," Alfred mumbled sheepishly, burying his nose against Arthur's neck and squeezing him tightly.

"Mm, don't worry about it." Arthur smiled softly, squeezing the other back.

"So..." Alfred pulled back eventually and pressed his forehead against Arthur's. "So you'll go now?"

"Yes," Arthur said with a small smile. "Good night?"

"Night night!" Alfred chirped, pressing closer to him for a moment before pulling away with a smile.

"Heh. Sleep well Alfred." Arthur's smile grew, and he quickly stroked the other's hair before heading to get out of the pool.

"You too! We'll have to try sleeping on the mattress sometime when you're not so tired and stressed!" Alfred called after him, then proceeded to try and get on said mattress. It took him a while, to say the least.

"All right." After once more small smile and wave, Arthur left. The next morning, the Brit came in with a tray of food for breakfast.

"Morning, Artie!" Alfred wriggled when he saw him, rolling into the pool and swimming up to him. "How are you?"

"Good morning," Arthur replied with a chuckle, setting himself down at the side. "I'm good, thank you. And you?"

"I missed you," Alfred told him with a slight pout. "But now it's okay since you're here!" he continued happily.

"All right. Well I missed you too," Arthur said, smiling a little.

"You did?" Alfred was happy. He noticed the plate of fish though and frowned a little. "Hey Artie? Could I get some more of the other human food?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked down at the plate, nodding when he understood the question, and turned a smile to the merman. "Of course. Is there anything you particularly want?"

"Umm...hamburgers! Those good ones I had before!"

"Really?" Arthur raised a brow. "All right. But I'll only let you have them once a week, they're rather unhealthy."

"Th-They are?" Alfred's face fell. "Oh..."

"Mm. It's okay to have them occasionally though," Arthur answered.

"Well I can just have something else now..." The merman mumbled, glancing at the fish and reaching out to take a piece. Arthur had started cooking for it a while ago, and Alfred loved all the different flavours the Brit could get out of it.

"Hey, it's all right... If you want a burger, that's fine, hm?"

"But you said I can't have them a lot and they're unhealthy..."

"No, but it's okay to eat unhealthy things sometimes as a treat. As long as you don't have them every day, it's fine."

"Oh, okay. So can I have them now?"

"Of course," Arthur replied, smiling slightly and picking up his phone to order the food.

"Okay! Thank you, Artie!"

"Not at all," the Brit replied when he'd finished ordering. "The food shouldn't be too long, now."

Alfred grabbed his hand and nuzzled against the fingers. "Did you get anything for yourself?"

Arthur smiled softly at the gesture. "I did, yes."

"Good. I'm glad." Closing his eyes, Alfred pressed his lips against the fingertips.

"Yes..." Watching Alfred, Arthur shifted slightly. "What's this for, hm?"

Alfred looked up at him. "I feel like it," he explained with a shrug. "Do you mind?"

"Ah... No, not really," Arthur murmured.

The merman smiled and continued caressing Arthur's hand. "Then I ain't gonna stop!" he declared cheerfully.

"Heh, all right," Arthur replied with a soft smile, his heart skipping a beat unbeknownst to him.

Pressing a few more kisses to the hand, Alfred then leaned back. "So are you very busy again today? Can Fritz come?"

"Mm, I have got some work to do. And I'm not sure, maybe."

"Aww... But that's okay, there was a cool-looking movie going to run on TV later so I can watch it!" Alfred said, brightening and resting his chin on Arthur's lap.

"All right," Arthur replied with a smile, ruffling the merman's hair gently. "I shouldn't be as long as yesterday, though. I've just got a few emails to answer."

"Ah, really?" Alfred gleefully leaned into the ruffling. "I'll look forward to spending time with you later! And maybe we can sleep on the mattress tonight?" he asked hopefully.

"Mm... All right, that'll be nice."

"Okay! Okay Artie! I'll look forward to that too!"

"Heh, okay." Arthur gave the other a small grin. "So what do you want to do?"

"Mmm, what do you want to do?"

"I don't mind..." Arthur sighed gladly, tipping his head a little. "You haven't played with any pool toys in a while. Do you want to?"

At first Alfred brightened, but then his face fell a bit. "I-Isn't that kinda childish though?"

"Hm? Not at all," Arthur said, frowning slightly in confusion. "We could have a race if you like."

"But on the TV nineteen year olds don't play with toys..." the merman mumbled.

Arthur raised a brow. "Trust me, in real life, they do. There's nothing childish about having fun now and then, it just depends how you go about it." He sighed softly and shrugged. "I bought you them for a reason. If you don't like it, that's fine, but-"

"No, no! I do like them! I like them a lot! Let's play!"

Arthur raised his brows. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Alfred gave him a smile. "You said we could race?"

Arthur chuckled and nodded. "There's those batons. First to pick up five of them and get back to the edge wins?"

Alfred bared his teeth in challenge. "Bring it on, human. Toss 'em in!"

Lips stretching sideways into a smirk, Arthur harrumphed. "Just a mere human, am I? Well, I'll show you," he said teasingly, fishing out the batons and throwing them in at random before joining Alfred, ready to start.

"Yeah, you are! You'll never win against a fish, Artie!" Alfred wriggled in anticipation, waiting for Arthur to give the signal to start.

"Humph. We'll see about that. Now, 3, 2, 1..." Then, as soon as Arthur said 'go', they were off.

Alfred shot forward like a bullet, immediately grabbing one then two of the batons.

Arthur soon caught up to him, though the very fact that he had to catch up was, in the first place, not a good sign. It took another few moments to locate and take the last few batons and start dragging himself back to the surface.

But then Alfred latched onto his foot and dragged him back a few feet, grinning as he passed the human and touched the wall.

"Ah-" Green eyes widened, then narrowed as the Brit propelled himself forwards more to finish with a huff.

"I win!" Alfred announced cheerfully.

"Hmph. That wasn't fair," Arthur replied playfully, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

"In the ocean there's no such thing as fairness!" Alfred argued, grinning and drifting closer to him.

Arthur just huffed, then raised a brow and grinned slightly as the other came closer.

"...What?" Alfred paused, tilting his head.

"Hm?" Arthur's grin simply grew. "What what?"

"...Nothing?" Alfred's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the smile, but then he shrugged it off.

"Nothing at all." Arthur hummed pleasantly, but then suddenly lurched forwards and tickled Alfred relentlessly.

"Aaaahh!" Alfred fell back with a loud squeak, writhing and laughing as he attempted to get away. "A-Artieeeee!"

"Hm?" Arthur raised an amused eyebrow, his fingers running down to the other's sides.

"Sto-o-oooop! Artieeeeee!" Alfred was out of breath by then, gasping and wheezing in between laughs.

"Heh. All right," Arthur said slowly, pulling his hands away and holding them in the air in surrender.

"Wheew. Oh my God-" Alfred kept on wheezing, leaning more deeply against Arthur as he caught his breath. "Meanie!"

"Hmph. I only gave you what you deserved," the Brit replied with an easy grin.

"Wh- Why did I deserve that?!"

"For being unfair in the race."

"It wasn't being unfair!"

"Well you did pull me back," Arthur said, raising an eyebrow.

"So? I was giving myself the advantage!" Alfred suddenly scooped Arthur up into his arms and towed him to the deeper area. "Like now! You have to hang onto me so you have to do whatever I want you to do!"

"Ah-" Eyes widening, Arthur frowned in defiance, but even so he was having to cling to the merman. "Wh- Why do I?" he huffed, flushing ever so slightly.

"Because if you don't then I'll let you go!"

"Oh... All right, all right. What do you want me to do?"

"That's easy!" Alfred's eyes were bright as he gazed down at the Brit. "Kiss me! On the cheek!"

"Wha- That's ridiculous!" Shifting slightly, Arthur felt the arms around him and sighed, not really wanting them to loosen suddenly. "...Fine." Leaning forward, Arthur pressed his lips to the other's cheek, murmuring against his ear along the way. "You win this time."

A shiver went down Alfred's spine at the whisper, and he felt his heart skip a beat. "T-This time? I'll win every time!" he said loudly, though his voice did crack.

"Heh, we'll see about that," Arthur continued quietly, grinning slyly.

"Yeah, we will." Alfred moved so the two of them were nose to nose, trying to pretend like he was tough and that his insides didn't feel like jelly when he looked into Arthur's green green eyes.

"Of course." Arthur's eyes were challenging as he smirked up at the other. "Worried I might win?"

"O-Of course not!" Alfred backed away a tiny bit.

Arthur raised a brow for what felt like the millionth time today. "You stuttered," he said with amusement, then huffed slightly. "And moved away- am I really that intimidating, hm?"

"Y-You're just my dominant male..." Alfred mumbled, lowering his head in a somewhat submissive gesture- he'd lost the silent battle between them by backing down. "For now, I mean!" He tried to puff out his chest.

"Your dominant male?" Now both eyebrows were raised.

"W-Well yeah." Alfred was stuttering horribly now, his cheeks flushed pink.

Interesting. Arthur tilted his head. "...What exactly do you mean by that?"

"W-Well you kept your composure longer," Alfred explained, looking resolutely down at Arthur's collarbone. "Which means that for now you won which makes you the dominant male. Like in a herd of horses! But I'll keep challenging you sometimes and when I get stronger then I'll be the dominant male!"

"Ah, I see." Arthur chuckled. "And here I thought it was a mating term. Still, you did win the race. Technically."

"Mating term-" Alfred coughed and turned redder. Oh.  _Oh_. "Nah, definitely not a mating term, haha. And yeah, I did win!'

"Heh, indeed." Arthur noticed the tinge on Alfred's cheeks and tilted his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Sorry for any embarrassment caused."

"N-No, it's okay. I probably caused a bit too..." Alfred smiled more naturally and gave Arthur a squeeze. "Hey, the sooner you go work the sooner you'll be done! So go now and we can race more later!"

"Ah, all right... That is true," Arthur replied with a small smile. "I'll be off then?"

"Yeah! And I'll see you in a little bit!" Alfred declared, towing him back to the edge.

"Okay." Arthur climbed out, turning to give Alfred a smile. "See you later, then. Have a good day." he said before heading off.

"Bye!" Alfred waved and then when Arthur was gone he turned to the TV. After a bit of watching, he chased the batons more, timing himself so he would be able to win the next race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two I swear-


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will start moving along more quickly soon, I promise!

It didn't take long for Arthur to finish, and this time he kept focused enough to remember to eat lunch and finish early, and before the end of the afternoon he was back in the pool room.

The merman was napping in a patch of sunlight by the window, but he woke and looked up when Arthur entered. "Artie!" Rolling into the water, he swam over and popped up on the side near Arthur. "How was work?"

"Hello," Arthur replied, smiling gently. "Oh, it was the same as usual. Not too bad."

"That's good, Artie! Let's watch a movie before we sleep!"

"Oh? All right, is there any type of film you want to watch?"

"There was one that was advertised- the Return of the King? But I missed it so can we watch it now?"

"Ah, of course," Arthur replied with a smile. "Although- that's actually the third of a series. Do you want to watch the other ones first?"

"Oh, really? Yeah! We can watch them all!"

Arthur chuckled. "They're over ten hours long overall."

"Oh- That's a long time..." Alfred whispered reverently.

"Can we watch the first one today then?"

"Of course. I should have the DVD somewhere, let me go look for it..."

"Okay, see you in a moment!"

Arthur left, quickly searching for the film and coming back with the DVD and some food.

"Foooooood!" Alfred's eyes zeroed in on the stuff in Arthur's arms.

Arthur raised a brow and shook his head, chuckling. "Of course that's what you notice first. Shall we eat with the film, then?"

"Hell yes!" Heaving himself out onto the edge, Alfred patted the spot next to him.

"All right." Slotting the disk into the player, Arthur took his seat next to Alfred and pulled the plate of food towards them.

"What is it?" Alfred asked, pointing to the food.

"Well..." Arthur shifted, slightly flustered. "You haven't really had a proper hot meal. So, uh, I had the leftovers of a Sunday dinner and I thought you would enjoy it..."

"Sunday dinner?" Alfred tilted his head to the side.

Arthur nodded. "There's chicken and some vegetables and gravy and... Uh. If you don't like it, I can get you some fish, but I thought you might like to try. I brought some snacks for the film too..."

Alfred licked his lips and scooted closer to the food. "That sounds so good..."

Arthur smiled slightly, sliding a knife and fork over to the other. "Go ahead, then. Oh- do you need help with the cutlery? You don't usually use it..."

"Yeah, could you show me?" Alfred gave him puppy eyes.

"Of course," Arthur replied with a chuckle, moving over and placing each item of cutlery in the other's hands. He then placed his own hands over that, curling their hands shut. "It's quite simple, really."

"Ah..." Alfred found it hard to concentrate on what Arthur was showing him, what with the warmth of his hands on Alfred's. "Okay..."

"Yes. So you use this to hold down and pick up the food," he said, demonstrating by maneuvering Alfred's hands into the right position. "And then this to cut up the bits that are too big."

Upon further examination of the knife, Alfred tightened his grip on it. "...You could use it to cut other things too, right?"

Arthur blinked and glanced up at Alfred. "Well- y-yes, why?"

"I just saw humans coming and killing fish with them..." Alfred mumbled.

"Oh..." Arthur frowned slightly, then nodded thoughtfully. "Yes."

Glancing at him, Alfred saw the frown and quickly shook his head. "I don't mean anything by it! Sorry for commenting. Show me how to use them more?" He didn't want the Brit's hands to lift away quite yet.

"Ah- yes, sorry, um, where were we... You cut with this one. Ah - and be careful of bones in the chicken," Arthur said quietly.

"...Arthur?" Alfred glanced at him at the tone. "I'm sorry if I scared you or something... I promise I won't hurt anyone!"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked. "No- no, I know you won't- I'm not scared."

"Then why are you so quiet?"

"I-I am...? I'm sorry..."

"Oh. Well okay then!" Alfred brightened and flipped his hands around to grip Arthur's.

"Ah-" Eyes widening slightly, Arthur smiled a little. "What about the food...?"

"The food can wait," Alfred said with a smile.

"...All right," Arthur murmured, blinking.

"Yeah! Tell me, did anything cool happen at work? And when exactly are you leaving?"

"Mm, no, just the usual stuff. And in a couple of days now- the day after tomorrow."

"I hope you get it sorted out quickly!" Alfred chirped sweetly.

"Yes, me too," Arthur said with a small smile.

"So. Food. Give me some?"

Arthur chuckled slightly at this. "Yes, yes. It's right here," he said, pulling the other's plate closer.

"Awesome!" Slouching so he would have better precision, Alfred slowly started cutting up his meat. "Like this?"

"Heh, yes, that's fine." Arthur smiled and started on his own plate, setting up the DVD while he did.

"Okay." After a moment it was all done, and Alfred took a bite. His eyes widened- it was so good! He wanted to just tip the entire contents of the plate into his mouth, but that wouldn't be polite. So, slight pout on his face, he ate slowly.

"So- how is it?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Delicious! A symphony of flavours!" Alfred had heard a chef proclaim that on a cooking show once so he thought it must have been pretty damn good food.

"What?" Arthur chuckled slightly, then smiled shyly. "Well I'm glad you like it."

"I do like it! You always cook so well!"

Arthur flushed slightly at this, his smile growing sheepishly. "Y-You think so? Thank you."

Humming with contentment at making Arthur happy, Alfred turned his attention to the screen and the drama unfolding there. He soon lost himself in the action, though his hand did go around Arthur's during the scarier parts.

Arthur chuckled slightly each time this happened, squeezing Alfred's hand comfortingly.

And Alfred would glance at him, shuffling closer until thigh was pressed against tail. After that, whenever something bad would happen, Alfred would throw his arms around Arthur's shoulders and hold him close.

Grinning softly and shaking his head, Arthur patted the merman's blond locks gently. "There, there. It's okay."

"I know it is!" Alfred wailed. "But stiiiill!"

"Hey, hey..." Arthur gave a small, amused laugh at the other's rather adorable reaction- wait, adorable? "Come now, it's just a film."

"But the emotions and stuff are real!" the merman whimpered, clutching onto Arthur's shirt.

Arthur just chuckled more and stroked the other's hair. "Yes, yes. It's all right, Alfred, they're just acting."

"But  _my_  emotions are real!"

"Yes, yes. It's okay," Arthur replied, resuming his patting of the other's head.

"Okay..." Closing his eyes, Alfred focused on the patting for a moment. Then, when there was a particularly loud noise, he turned his attention back to the screen, but he did so in a way that wouldn't mean he had to leave the sanctuary of Arthur's arms.

Arthur's eyes turned back to the screen as well, though his hand never stopped the gentle soothing of Alfred's hair.

An hour later, when the movie was finished, Alfred was tired from all the emotion he had felt, but satisfied at the movie and eager for more. "We'll watch the next one tomorrow?" he asked, stifling a yawn as he straightened out.

"Sure." Arthur replied with a small smile. "Are you tired?"

"A lil bit..." Alfred sprawled against him. "Can we go sleep?"

"Of course." Arthur smiled gently. "Let's go."

Pushing away and flopping into the water, Alfred quickly retrieved the mattress and guided it back to the edge. "If you don't wanna get your clothes wet then you can take them off!"

"Ah, right." Arthur nodded and turned away to change. "There should be something on the side to fix it to the edge of the pool," he said as he shrugged his shirt off, then his pants.

"Ah, there is!"Alfred exclaimed, but he was watching Arthur. Only when the human was down to his underwear did he look away and focus on actually finding the thing on the mattress.

Arthur looked over his shoulder a moment to check if Alfred was looking his way before, satisfied he wasn't, turning back to the merman and kicking his clothes out of the way. "I left the blankets by the door for now, so I'll bring them when you're done."

"Blankets?" Alfred tilted his head. "Won't they get wet?"

"Well- Maybe... But I'd be cold otherwise..."

"Couldn't you turn on the heating in this room? Plus I'll keep ya warm!"

"I-I suppose that's reasonable."

"Yeah! Don't worry, Artie, I'll be sure to keep you really warm!" Alfred told him eagerly, smiling and gesturing for him to get onto the mattress.

Arthur couldn't help but smile gently back as he made his way over and carefully climbed onto the bed.

Once Arthur was settled Alfred clambered on next to him. "Is this okay?" the merman asked after he had gotten into place. He was curled around Arthur in an attempt to make him warm, and the Brit was partially underneath him.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked in surprise, but then shuffled a little closer. "Yes, this is fine," he mumbled.

"Okay." Yawning, Alfred shoved his nose against Arthur's neck. "Night then, Artie..." Then he was asleep, snoring softly.

After a moment, Arthur lifted his arms until they were gently resting around the merman. "Good night, Alfred," he murmured, before slowly falling asleep himself.

And the next morning when Alfred woke, Arthur's arms were still around him. Gazing over at the human, he smiled. This was really nice and comforting, and he felt he could stay in that position forever. "Artie..." he mumbled under his breath, unable to resist leaning forward and giving Arthur a tiny kiss on the neck. It was barely a brush of his lips against Arthur's skin, but it still made Alfred feel better. He'd kissed Arthur!

Arthur hummed softly and shifted in his sleep, his body comfortable in the warmth.

"You like that?" Alfred asked him, his voice barely a murmur. He leaned forward and pressed another soft kiss there.

Stirring more and sighing softly, Arthur unconsciously leant into the touch.

"Yeah, you do..." Alfred smiled, slightly sadly, and burrowed into him.

Moments later, Arthur's eyes gently fluttered open. "Mm?"

"Morning, Arthur!" Alfred told him, giving him a little squeeze.

Arthur blinked, and a moment later flipped the two of them onto their sides, pressing his face into Alfred's chest and wrapping his legs around his tail.

"A-Arthur?" Alfred's eyes went wide at the sudden motion and he stiffened as the mattress wobbled dangerously, but eventually he wrapped his arms around Arthur's torso and held him close. "Wh- What's this for?"

"Hm?" Arthur murmured quietly, already half-asleep again. He smiled softly as he snuggled closer to Alfred.

"What are you doing?" Alfred asked in a soft tone, gently running his hand across Arthur's back.

"Mm... Warm," Arthur breathed, sighing softly at the feeling, before he blinked. What  _was_  he doing?! Just because he was tired, it didn't give him an excuse to cuddle up, even if it did feel great. Face reddening, the Brit shifted back a little, somewhat reluctantly peeling his face from Alfred's skin and looking down at the mattress instead. "S-Sorry, I just..."

"H-Hey... It's okay, Artie!" Alfred said quickly, tightening his grip in an attempt to keep Arthur there. "I don't mind, I was just surprised at first. Don't apologize!"

"Ah... All- All right," Arthur murmured, pausing and leaning into the merman.

"Yeah." Alfred looked at him hesitantly. "Do you wanna sleep some more?"

"I don't mind," Arthur replied, glancing up at Alfred for a moment. "This... This is nice."

"It is..." Alfred replied, just as quiet.

After a moment, Arthur's face was back against the other's skin, hiding its slight redness. "We can go back to sleep if you want," he murmured.

"Yeah, let's do that..." Alfred mumbled, humming happily at the feelings. He snuggled more to the Brit.

"Mm, all right." Arthur closed his eyes, snuggling back softly. He soon fell asleep in his thoughts, and his grip around Alfred tightened slightly.

Alfred stayed awake though, and simply watched Arthur sleep. Why was he feeling so warm all over? And why did that warmth increase as Arthur's grip did? Shrugging the feelings away, he closed his eyes and waited for Arthur to wake again.

It wasn't long before Arthur began to stir again, and he sighed softly as he awoke, though his eyes stayed closed and he moved closer to Alfred. The merman pretended to be asleep, curious to see what Arthur would do if he thought Alfred wasn't awake. He let out a soft snore. Arthur blinked. Ah, so Alfred was still sleeping. Drawing back a little and looking up at Alfred, the Brit brought his fingers to the other's cheek, stroking it softly.

Alfred's stomach twisted, though he tried not to show his reaction. He couldn't help snuffling ever so softly and leaning into the hand.

Smiling at this, Arthur then seemed to realize what he was doing and abruptly pulled his hand away. But then he looked up at Alfred and thought carefully, coming to some sort of realization. He wanted to touch Alfred. He couldn't help that. His eyes widened slightly as he took this in, then after a few moments, he'd made peace with the simple fact. And then there was another realization- Alfred was asleep now, so there was no harm in humoring himself a little, right? So, ever so gently, and with a furtive look at Alfred's soft face, he reached out, his fingers brushing at the top of Alfred's chest.

"Mmh..." Another soft snort and snore, and Alfred turned his head to the side. Internally he felt like he was melting, and he never wanted Arthur to stop the little touches.

Arthur started at the noise, pausing as he glanced up at Alfred nervously, but then he deemed it safe and let his hand slowly travel down Alfred's chest, stopping halfway down his stomach and stroking there softly.

"Mmhmmhmmhmm-" The merman snickered softly at the ticklish feeling but still didn't open his eyes.

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur's hand pulled back. Shit- he wasn't awake, was he?! "A-Alfred...?" he asked quietly.

Okay, maybe that was too much. Alfred snorted again and stayed still.

After about a minute, it looked like Alfred wasn't waking up, and Arthur sighed softly, face softening as he tentatively rested his hand on the other's chest again.

The merman didn't react that time, and was careful not to show any movement.

A moment later, Arthur snuggled up to the other, nuzzling to Alfred's chest as he stroked the skin there with a thumb.

It was then that Alfred couldn't resist anymore and, as naturally as possible, snuggled back into Arthur. He was surprised that the Brit couldn't hear the rapid thumping of his heart.

"Mm..." Arthur hummed softly, closing his eyes at the feeling and holding Alfred tighter.

"Mmmh..." Alfred decided it was time to 'wake'. "Arrrtie?" he asked sleepily.

"Ah-" Arthur froze at the sudden noise. "Good morning, Alfred..."

"Morning, Artie..." Alfred smiled and squeezed him a bit.

"Mm... So, uh, did you sleep all right?" Arthur asked quietly, giving the other a small squeeze in return.

"Y-Yeah, it was nice. What about you?"

Arthur smiled softly at that. "That's good. I slept okay... Haven't been awake for long."

"Oh, what were you doing? You should have woken me."

"Wh-" Arthur flushed softly. "N-No, it's fine, I was only awake about a minute before you."

"Oh. Okay, then." Alfred gave him a warm smile.

Arthur couldn't help but smile back at that. "Yes."

"Did I keep you warm enough in the night?"

"Y-Yes, it was fine. Thank you."

"Really? I'm glad, Artie!" Alfred gave him an extra hard squeeze.

"A-Ah-" Eyes widening slightly, Arthur chuckled. "Yes. Turns out you make rather a good blanket."

"I do! Can we sleep like this more? I want to be your blanket more!"

Arthur blinked, his brows rising. "Well- All right..."

"Thanks, Artie!" Alfred wriggled softly, then stopped as he remembered they were on a very mobile mattress- one that could potentially tip over. He settled down and cuddled up to Arthur. "Can you go get food? I'm starting to get hungry..."

"Oh... Yes, of course. Is there anything you want?"

"Umm..." Alfred thought for a moment. "Surprise me!" he declared after a moment.

"Hm, all right..." Arthur replied, thinking. He disentangled himself from the merman and climbed out onto the floor of the pool room. "I'll be back in a few minutes, then."

"But no fish!" Alfred quickly added on before the Brit left. His tail splashed softly in the water in anticipation while he waited.

True to his word, Arthur was soon back with a steaming plate of breakfast- sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, and fried bread all on the plate that he set in front of Alfred.

Sniffing at the air, Alfred nodded in approval. "It smells so good! Do you have some for yourself?"

"Of course." Arthur replied with a smile, picking up his own plate and sitting by the side of the pool.

Alfred attacked the food, disregarding the knife and fork for most of it. When he reached the eggs and beans however - what an odd combination - he had to and picked them up with a huff. "What is this all?" he asked between swallows.

"Ah, it's a Full English Breakfast. That bit's egg, and those are baked beans."

"Full English...? As in from England?"

Arthur nodded in reply.

"...English people have weird taste."

Arthur blinked. "Wh- How?!"

"Because sausage and eggs and beans and bread? That's like three breakfasts in one."

"How would you know that?" Arthur said huffily. "And besides, breakfast is an important meal. It sets you up for the rest of the day, so it's sometimes good to have a full breakfast."

"The cooking programs never had it!" Alfred declared. "But I guess that makes sense, but it's still weird!"

Arthur crossed his arms. "It isn't that weird..."

"It is! It's different in America!"

"Fine, fine. If you really don't like it, I'll make something else tomorrow."

"No, no! I do like it! I just thought it was kinda weird!"

"Hmm, all right."

"I do like it!"

Arthur looked at him, and then a small smile came across his face. "...Well finish it up, then," he said.

Nodding enthusiastically, Alfred tipped the plate back and swallowed the rest of the beans whole. "There!"

Arthur chuckled and took the dirty plate. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Umm... Well you're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yes," Arthur replied with a nod.

"I wanna spend the day with you..."

The Brit smiled wider at this, chuckling softly. "Of course, I'm staying right here with you."

"Promise? You won't leave at all?"

"I promise."

"Okay." Alfred heaved himself out of the water and dumped his upper body on Arthur's lap. "I need you..." he whispered.

"Need me?" Arthur blinked, eyes widening slightly. "Don't be ridiculous..."

"I do." Alfred snuggled into him. "You're so nice to me, plus you treat me good."

"Treat you well... Ah, th-that doesn't mean you need me though," Arthur said, flushing slightly.

"I do need you! And plus, I want you! No other human for me, no sir!" Alfred told him, grinning and nuzzling to his stomach.

Arthur turned redder and smiled gently, bringing a hand up to stroke Alfred's hair. "Well, if you insist..."

"Yeah, I do insist!"

"All right then. Well I'm glad."

"Artie..." Alfred held him more tightly. "Can we watch the other two movies? We have time, right?" He looked up at Arthur and shifted so he was sitting next to him and leaned against the Brit's shoulder.

"Hm?" Watching the other Arthur raised his brows. "Yes, of course."

"Okay." The merman straightened. "Put them on?"

Once Arthur had put the movie on the two of them got settled down on the side of the pool. Alfred was once again clinging to Arthur throughout any parts he deemed necessary- and some other ones simply because it felt good to be holding Arthur- until that movie was over and he had Arthur order them some pizza. He'd seen a commercial and had yet to try it.

After his life-changing discovery (pizza was  _really_  good), Alfred insisted they order more for later and started on the second movie. And by then, Alfred had come to the conclusion that Arthur would make a very nice human teddy bear indeed and pulled the Brit onto his lap.

Surprised at the action, Arthur blinked and turned his head to look at the merman. "A-Alfred?"

"What?" Alfred looked back at him calmly.

"What's with this...?" Arthur murmured, a shy flush on his cheeks.

"Well." Alfred quickly racked his brain to come up with a good enough explanation. "You'll be warmer this way. And I'll be warmer this way. And I won't have to go at an awkward angle when the scary bits come on and I gotta hide."

Arthur laughed at this, smiling warmly at the other. "All right, fair enough," he said, leaning back into Alfred just a tiny bit.

"Exactly!" Happy that Arthur had accepted his reasoning, Alfred wrapped his arms more snugly around Arthur's body and rested his chin on the human's shoulder. He sighed contently and dragged his eyes back to the screen.

Arthur almost closed his eyes, he was so relaxed, before remembering he was watching a film and looking back at the TV. That didn't stop him leaning into the other happily, though.

Alfred didn't let go of him until the movie was over, and once the ending credits were rolling he still clung to the man, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. "He- He didn't have to leeeaaaaave!"

Sighing softly in his amusement, Arthur lifted a hand to the merman's head and patted it. "Now, now, it's all right."

"It's noooooooot! He ju-just left them!" Alfred wailed into his skin.

"It was his time to, Alfred. And they were happy in the end."

The merman's sobs dissolved into sniffles and he nodded. "H-His time, right..."

"It's okay, Alfred," Arthur murmured, his fingers running through the other's hair.

"Okay... If- If you say so, Artie..." Slowly Alfred raised his head, leaning into the hand and holding Arthur even closer. It was six, and he was scared that Arthur was going to have to leave soon.

Nodding, Arthur tilted his head to look at Alfred and smiled. "I do. Now, you probably want some food, right...?"

"No! I mean we still have the pizza! Don't go yet!"

Arthur blinked, his eyebrows rising, but then brought a hand up to Alfred's cheek. "Hey... It's all right, I'm here. I'm not going."

"Please don't go," Alfred whispered, looking at him with wide blue eyes. His own hand rose to cover Arthur's, and he gave a gentle squeeze.

"I'm right here..." Arthur murmured back, stroking the other's cheek with a thumb.

Letting out a soft mewl without fully realizing it, Alfred relaxed and leaned into him. "Okay, Artie... Okay, you're here." He gave Arthur's hand another squeeze and closed his eyes.

Arthur smiled softly, stroking his cheek a little more. "Yes."

They spent the rest of the evening cuddling, and then Arthur had to head off for bed- he was leaving early the next morning.

"W-Wait, what?" Alfred froze once Arthur told him he was off. "I thought we were gonna sleep together!"

"I-" Arthur bit his lip, giving Alfred an apologetic look. "Alfred, I have to leave early tomorrow morning. As much as I would love to stay, I can't..."

Alfred instantly deflated, his shoulders slumping and his head lowering. "O-Okay then... Leave me..."

"I-I'm sorry! I really am," Arthur said quietly.

"Yeah, sure!" Alfred sniffled and clung to him.

"A-Alfred..." Arthur stroked the other's hair gently, then sighed softly. "Hey, I have something for you. May I go and get it?"

"H-Have somethin'?" Alfred's eyes went wide. "Okay..."

Arthur smiled gently, then dashed off to get it. He was back quickly, and handed the merman a small object. "It's a phone," he explained. "It's waterproof, and you can use it to talk to me when you're not here, if you want. It's got my number here- and see, you can text here."

"Ooh..." Alfred took it reverently. He unlocked it and typed out a hello message to Arthur. "I saw these on TV! I can use one no problem!"

"Ah- All right," Arthur replied, then nodded a little. Of course, Alfred would have other sources of learning. "Well, this way you can talk to me when I'm not around."

"I will!" Alfred chirped, much happier with this new development. "Night, then!"

Arthur smiled gladly at this and chuckled. "All right. Sleep well- and I'll see you in a few days, hm? Behave yourself."

"I will! I promise! C'mere though!"

"Hm?" Arthur moved closer, tilting his head a little.

Alfred forced him down farther and pressed their foreheads together. "Sleep well, okay Arthur? And have a safe trip..."

"Ah..." Smiling more, Arthur leaned into it. "Thank you, I will. You have a good time too, yes?"

"I will!" Alfred smiled warmly back and quickly leaned up to give Arthur a kiss on the forehead before slipping underwater.

Arthur didn't come to see him the next morning, and though Alfred was saddened a bit by that fact at first, but he realized that the Brit was probably on a tight schedule so he understood it. So instead, from the moment he woke up, he was texting Arthur. Asking him how the journey was, how he was, stuff like that. Arthur was slower to reply, and later he ceased fully since he was meeting with the woman. Alfred had just started to get bored when the door flew open.

Gilbert stood on the threshold, a smirk on his face and Fritz by his side. "Hey Alfred, ready to have some fun?"

"Ooh, yes!" Alfred replied, happy for the distraction. "Hey guys!"

After some cheerful reunions and playtime, Gilbert revealed the true intentions of his visit once he'd sent Fritz back down to Matthew. "Alfred and I have some grown-up business to talk about," he'd explained.

"Grown-up business?" Alfred asked once they were alone.

"Yes." Gilbert settled down on the edge of the pool. "Now then, my dear, naïve young merman. Tell me about your feelings for Arthur."

"Wh- What?" Alfred's eyes went wide.

"Oh come on, you're totally gay for him."

"I... I am?" Alfred looked confused. "I'm gay?"

"Well, maybe not officially, you could be bi or pan or something but that's a conversation for another day. Tell me, do you feel happy when he's with you?"

"...Yes?"

"And do you really want to touch him and hug him and kiss him and does your stomach feel all fluttery and shit?"

"Shit?"

Gilbert stared. "Arthur hasn't introduced you to curse words?" He'd have to remedy that.

"No... But my stomach does feel like that! I want to be with him all the time!" Was he really gay for Arthur?  _Could_  mermaids be gay? He supposed they could...

"Awesome." Gilbert rubbed his hands together and quickly confiscated Alfred's phone. He saw a few messages from Arthur on there but ignored them. "Come now, Alfred," he said grandly. "Let's start your real education, hmm?"

Arthur, back in England, frowned down at his unusually dead phone, but his client soon started speaking to him and he quickly uncreased his brow. He had work to do.

And so Alfred's sex education began, with a quick first lesson in cursing. That evening Gilbert went over theory- some different stuff that could be done between two guys, the different toys, and he even came up with some ideas for Arthur and Alfred's special case. Neither of them were sure whether Alfred could bottom, but they supposed that Alfred could find out on his own.

By the time Gilbert left, Alfred was sure of his feelings. He liked Arthur. Maybe he even loved Arthur. He certainly adored the man. But he definitely couldn't wait for the Brit to come home so he could test that revelation. He sent off a quick good night message and drifted off.

The next morning, he was woken early when Fritz jumped into the water. Startling awake, Alfred spotted Gilbert leaning against the door. He shared his joyful news with Fritz, who was oddly unsurprised.

The young boy stayed until about four, when he was sent off again. Only when he was gone did Alfred realize that he hadn't spoken to Arthur at all.

'Sorry. Gilbert's over.' he texted quickly, then handed his phone over to the Prussian again.

Gilbert put a DVD on and the pornfest began. Alfred watched it with wide eyes, highly interested. Gilbert would occasionally glance at him, pleased that the merman was watching with rapt attention. He settled back and enjoyed the show. 

It wasn't much later that Arthur stepped in, sighing softly as he let his suitcase drop to the floor. "I'm home-" He was cut off mid sentence as he looked up, the smile slipping off his face as he saw what was on the screen. Then his eyes found Gilbert. "Wh- What...? What the hell is going on here?!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Arthur once again comes in to see very strange happenings.


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh hey Artie! We're just finishing up! Wanna join?" Gilbert asked, tearing his gaze away from the screen to smirk up at the Brit.

"Do I want to- n-no!" Arthur took another furtive glance at the screen. "What are you playing... _porn_ for?" he hissed. "Turn it off!"

"So your lil merman can learn about sex."

"I can teach him that if he really needs to know, but he doesn't need to watch that!" Arthur huffed, crossing his arms.

"Well you haven't been doing that properly!"

"Wh-" Arthur stopped and turned a deep shade of red as one of the men on screen let out a particularly loud moan. "J-Just turn it off!"

"But Artie!" Alfred turned a pouty face on him. "It's teaching me!"

Eyes widening slightly at the other, Arthur sputtered. " _Teaching_  you? Wh- that's not going to teach you anything!"

"Yes it is! It'll teach me how to have sex okay!"

"What- why do you even need to know that?"

"Because- I need to!"

"That's not an answer! And besides, this isn't... How you should learn it..."

"Relax, Eyebrows. There's no harm in this," Gilbert interjected. "And besides, it's almost done."

"I-" Arthur glanced at the screen one more and huffed, crossing his arms.

Satisfied that he'd won, Gilbert settled back down.

But then only a minute later, Arthur had had enough and switched the television off.

"Wait, what? Arthur!" Gilbert scrambled up.

"What? This is my house, Beilschmidt. And besides, if Alfred was 'learning' from this, then he would have learned it already, right?" Arthur said, raising a brow.

"Well you were gone."

"That doesn't stop it being my house."

"Well. You wouldn't have done it."

Arthur sighed. "Whatever."

"Well then I'm gonna leave. Alfred, remember what we talked about." Gathering up his stuff, Gilbert strode from the room.

Arthur raised a brow and turned to Alfred. "...What  _did_  you guys talk about?"

"Oh." Suddenly very aware that he was alone with  _Arthur_ , who he had just realized that he  _liked_ , Alfred went red. "Not much," he mumbled.

"Hm... All right." Arthur hummed slightly, then sat down by the pool. "Well at least you weren't left alone the whole time..."

"Yeah! Fritz came too! We had lots of fun!"

"Ah, that's good," Arthur murmured, glancing over at Alfred. "You had a good couple of days then?"

"Yeah, I did! I missed you terribly though!" Alfred opened his arms for a hug, confident that he'd calmed down enough for it. With the images off screen, it was easier for him to shake everything from his mind and focus on the more innocent stuff again.

Arthur smiled softly at this and flopped into Alfred's embrace, hugging back and humming softly. "I missed you too..." he murmured.

"I missed you more," Alfred whispered to him, his heart aching with the love in it, the love directed at the man in his arms.

Sighing contentedly, Arthur leaned into the other and defied this statement with a gentle smile on his face. "I sincerely doubt that."

"Well I doubt those doubts." Alfred huffed. With his newfound information, Alfred wanted to just lean forward and kiss him, but he knew that he couldn't. Arthur might have been gay, but the merman didn't think that he would be too open to multi-species relationships. So he simply hugged the man.

Arthur smiled more warmly, chuckling and closing his eyes. "You can think what you like," he said quietly. "Just let me stay right here."

"Of course, I want you to stay here too..." Alfred whispered to him.

"Mm, good." Arthur gave the other a small squeeze.

Moving back so he was fully in the water, Alfred squeezed back and nuzzled to the Brit. At least he could have small actions like this.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked in surprise as he landed in the pool, his muscles tensing with the sudden temperature shift.

"Sorry." Alfred stroked his sides and squeezed him extra tight.

"It's all right." Arthur hummed softly, and was soon relaxed in Alfred's arms again. "Mm... How about you keep me relaxed like this, and I forget what happened when I came in, hm?" he murmured happily.

"Heh, okay." Alfred kept stroking his arms and sides as he spun slowly in the water. "I'm sorry about what happened..."

"Mm, don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault. And I suppose I was being a bit silly about it... But still, I don't think you should have been shown that like that."

"Well I did like it..." Alfred confessed on a small voice.

"You-" Arthur sputtered a little. "I-I mean it's not exactly weird to like it, I don't mind it sometimes myself, but- I... Y-You like it how...?"

"Arthur." Alfred regarded him seriously. "I think I'm gay. Or pan or bi, Gil said something about that..."

Arthur blinked. Wait, had Alfred been turned on by it or something? "R-Right... And you think that because of the video...?"

"That and...some other stuff. And stuff Gilbert and I talked about..."

"Other stuff?"

"Yeah." Alfred shrugged, doing his best to make it seem noncommittal. "Nothin' really special, but just stuff. But how was your trip? Did you manage to do it?!"

"Ah... Yes, just about. It was all right, I suppose..." Arthur sighed slightly, noticing the subject change but deciding not to pursue it. "I'm exhausted though."

"Let me relax you!" And as he held the man, Alfred began a slow massage of Arthur's back.

"Mm..." Eyes slipping shut, Arthur leaned into the man, his breathing slowing pleasantly. "I suppose I can't say no to this..."

"Then don't," Alfred purred into Arthur's ear, his fingers digging deftly into the harsh knots in the Brit's back. "Just relax... You're home, Artie. And you're with me."

Shivering slightly at the sensation, Arthur hummed as the tension in his muscles slowly released. "Yes, I am," he murmured.

"I'll take good care of you Artie, don't you worry," Alfred told him, his heart hammering and his body hyperaware of every touch.

Arthur's face nuzzled to the crook of Alfred's neck as he let out a soft sigh. "Mm, thank you..."

Letting out a tiny gasp, Alfred's hands paused for a second before resuming their motions. He moved more slowly this time, every motion deliberate and careful. "You should sleep on your bed tonight. Get a good night's rest, yeah?"

"M'fine right here," Arthur mumbled back, his hands slipping down the other's back until his arms were loosely around Alfred's waist.

"A-Are you now?" Alfred glanced down at him and smiled softly – and how could he not? Arthur looked so cute and adorable and  _right_ , curled up in his arms.

But Arthur didn't reply, having fallen asleep right then and there in Alfred's warm comfort.

"Artie?" Alfred shook him a tiny bit, his smile growing when he realized that he had drifted off. "Oh Artie, my Artie..." he murmured to him. Moving as slowly as he could, Alfred swam to the mattress and gently lay Arthur out on it so as not to wake him.

Frowning slightly in his sleep, Arthur's grip tightened on his last remaining hold on Alfred, around the merman's wrist.

That gave Alfred, who had been about to move away, pause. He looked down at the sleeping human for a moment before carefully climbing in onto the mattress next to him and wrapping around Arthur. He also turned so that most of Arthur's head and shoulders were resting against his soft chest.

That put a smile on the sleeping Brit's face, and he gladly snuggled to the warmth offered to him, clinging softly to Alfred's sides.

"Heh..." Alfred stroked his cheek with feather-soft touches. "You're horrible, you know?" he whispered to him. "Makin' me like you... Makin' me wish I was human..." And he did wish that, because maybe then he might have had a chance. "Night, Artie..." Then he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come and take him.

Arthur woke late the next morning, and he decided that a good use of his time would be cuddling up to Alfred more as he waited for the merman to wake up.

"Mmm..." Actually asleep this time, Alfred felt the faint motions within his dream and simply snuggled back.

Humming slightly, Arthur tilted his head up to look at Alfred, and a soft smile came across his face. "How cute..." he murmured to himself.

Alfred only held onto him for a few moments more until he began to stir. His grip on Arthur slackened and his eyelids fluttered open. "Mornin'."

Huffing slightly, Arthur only held on all the tighter. "Good morning," he mumbled.

Alfred blinked at the increased grip, and then he mentally shrugged and wrapped more securely around the man. "Did ya get a good rest, Artie?" he asked, snuffling to Arthur's hair.

"Mhm," Arthur murmured back, humming and smiling a little at the cuddles. "Did you?"

"Yeah, it was okay. Couldn't fall asleep for a long time but then it was nice."

"Hm?" Arthur frowned a little, concerned. "Why not?"

The merman shrugged. "Just couldn't. It's no big deal, though."

"Mm, all right."

"Yeah." Alfred gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me, kay?"

"Okay," Arthur murmured with a small smile back in reply.

Alfred watched that smile for a moment, but then dragged his eyes away. "So... I'm hungry. And I want those scones of yours!"

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening a little. "Ah- you do? I can make some!"

"Heh." Alfred was pleased that he had managed to make Arthur so happy. "Yeah, go make some!"

"All right! I'll be back in about half an hour, then."

"Okay! See you!" Alfred unwillingly unwound from around him and slipped into the water.

Arthur gave him a quick smile before heading off to the kitchen. He made the scones as quick as he could, leaving ten minutes for them to cool before he added cream, strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries, then brought them back to Alfred.

"Ooh! They look so good, Artie!" Arthur hadn't presented them to him that way before, and he eagerly snapped them up. He let out a long, loud moan when he bit into the first one, and he thought he would melt. "Oh my God- These are so good, Artie!"

"R-Really?" Arthur flushed happily, giving a shy smile. "I'm glad you think so, Alfred..."

"I do! They're so so good!" Alfred grabbed two more and stuffed them consecutively into his mouth, groaning and closing his eyes. The scones themselves were  _very_  slightly burned, but all of the cream and jam and other dressings helped mask the taste and make them one of the best foods Alfred had ever tasted. The merman thought he could eat them until he burst, and then once he was empty once more eat another whole batch of them.

"Ah, thank you," Arthur replied, smile growing in happiness.

"No problem!" Eyeing the plate, Alfred quickly picked the scones off one by one until they were all gone. Then he lay back, full belly up, and drifted contently through the water. It felt like heaven.

Arthur chuckled slightly. "You liked them that much?"

"I did! I always like them so much!" Alfred told him happily.

"I'm glad," Arthur breathed, smiling at the floor. "Oh- so, did you want to do anything today?"

"Just spend time with you... You don't need to do work, do you?"

Arthur shook his head. "I'm sure I can give myself today off."

"Yay! Let's be together today!" Alfred exclaimed, swirling happily in the water and drifting closer to the mattress.

"Heh, indeed." Arthur chuckled, sitting with his legs dangling in the pool. "What do you want to do?"

"Umm... Let's race again!"

"...Heh. All right." Arthur smirked slightly, sliding into the water fully. "I won't lose."

"You will! I'll win again!"

"Hmm, is that so?" Arthur raised a brow. "In that case, we'll make it interesting- let's have a bet."

"What does the loser gotta do?"

Arthur hummed in thought. "How about... A day of servitude to the other?"

"Bring it, Kirkland!" Alfred grinned and got into position.

Grinning back, Arthur threw in the batons and positioned himself, before diving in after them.

"Wh-" Alfred chased after him, scooping up baton after baton.

But Arthur was too fast this time, and he spotted the last couple first, then quickly made a dash for the surface.

"No!" Huffing and with four batons in his arms, he broke the surface as well.

Arthur swam to the edge as quickly as he could, depositing his batons on the side. "I win, then?" he announced, turning around and raising a brow at the other.

"Yeah, yeah. But that's only cuz I was surprised at the beginning!"

"Of course," Arthur replied with a small smirk.

"Well I was!" Alfred huffed.

"I still win."

"...Fine. When do you want me to be your servant for the day?"

"Mm, how about today?" Arthur replied, tipping his head.

"Today?" Alfred tilted his head in the same direction. "So starting now and ending in 24 hours?"

"Mm, good." Arthur let out a small sigh and stretched. "Hmm... Give me one of those massages like you did yesterday? I'm exhausted..."

Alfred lit up at the prospect. "Ooh! Yeah, Artie! I'd be happy to give you one of those! C'mere! Lay down comfortably!"

Smiling a little, Arthur quickly climbed onto the mattress and lay on his stomach.

Pulling himself up next to the Brit, Alfred curled his tail up underneath his body and laid his hands onto Arthur's back, starting the massage. "Like this?" he asked softly, his fingers digging into the newly re-formed knots on his back. How did a person get so tense in such a short amount of time?!

"Mm, yes..." Arthur murmured, his eyes slipping shut as he allowed himself to relax.

"You're so tense again," Alfred reprimanded him lightly. "You're gonna make me tired if I gotta tackle all the knots on your back every day!"

"I can't help it with my work." Arthur raised a brow. "You don't have to do this every day..."

"But if you get so tense then I wanna do it every day for you!" Alfred gave him a smile. "I wanna make you feel good!"

"Ah- well... If you insist, I suppose I can't deny it." Arthur hummed, smiling softly back. "This does feel good..."

"Heh, I'm glad, Artie..." Alfred smiled more and dug his hands deeper into Arthur's back.

Letting out a low groan at the feeling, Arthur arched his back slightly. "Mm, yes..."

Eyes widening at the noise, Alfred's hands faltered for a moment. "A-Artie?"

"Hm?" Arthur frowned slightly, wondering why Alfred's movements had ceased. "What?"

"Oh. No, nothing, Artie!" Alfred chirped, quickly resuming his motions.

"Mm-" Arthur gave a small, soft moan. "I-If you're sure."

"I-I am..." The merman raised an eyebrow at this moan but kept on giving the massage. His hands slowly slipped down to Arthur's lower back.

"Oh God," The Brit murmured, shivering pleasantly at the feeling and giving another small groan.

"That feels that good?" Alfred asked quietly, pushing particularly deep into him.

A small gasp came out of Arthur's mouth, and there was no denying Alfred's hands had a profound effect on him. "Mmmmnh, yeah..." he murmured, shifting slightly. It definitely felt good.

Well this was interesting. A small smirk came over Alfred's lips and he slowed his actions.

"Christ-" Arthur leaned into it, relishing the feel and- oh shit, was he getting turned on?!

"Christ?" Alfred questioned, his hands not stopping.

"That - nn - it feels good, Alfred..." Ah well, may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

"That's good, Artie... That's real good." Alfred lifted his hands away a few moments later. "There, you're done."

Arthur accidentally let out a tiny whine when the pressure was lifted, but then tried to sit up. He stopped as soon as he shifted, however, and stayed in a crouched position. "Ah... Could- Could you close your eyes?"

"O-Okay." Alfred dutifully closed his eyes, his heart fluttering in anticipation. What was Arthur going to do?

"A-All right, thanks. I'll be back in a moment, okay?" Arthur said, standing precariously and glancing down at his pants.

Oh. Alfred drooped ever so slightly. "Okay..."

Arthur nodded and headed for the door, but then felt a guilty twinge as he looked back at the merman- he'd clearly been expecting something. Arthur left and quickly dealt with his...little problem, but then soon (well, after about half an hour) was back and sat in front of Alfred. "All right, open your mouth."

"A-Ahhh?" Alfred's mouth dropped open softly. It had gotten a bit uncomfortable after about fifteen minutes of sitting that way, but Alfred had only shifted to submerge his tail into the water. Arthur had ordered him to stay like that, so stay like that he would.

"It might be a little cold," The Brit murmured, before gently spooning some food into the other's mouth.

Gasping lightly at the cold, Alfred swallowed and opened his eyes. "That's good!"

"You like it?" Arthur asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I do!"

"Ah good. It comes in different flavours too by the way- have you seen it on TV?"

"I did! There was a commercial and it made me hungry but you were working then so I didn't want to bother you..."

"Ah, I see. Well there's a whole bowl, if you want more," Arthur said, pushing the ice cream towards Alfred.

The merman grabbed the bowl and turned it upside down over his head, screeching as the ice cream fell out onto it. He then proceeded to try and lick it off his face, squeaking and writhing at the coldness.

Arthur blinked, then unable to help himself, doubled over laughing.

"Whaaaa?" Alfred let out a whine, still trying to get the cold off his face.

"You- You are utterly ridiculous!" Arthur got out between laughs.

Pouting, Alfred huffed at him. "How?"

"You just tipped a whole bowl of ice cream over your head!"

"I thought it would go in my mouth!"

Arthur shook his head, still chuckling a little with a warm smile. "That's why we use a spoon," he said.

"...Well I didn't wanna!"

Arthur chuckled more. "So ridiculous."

The merman huffed more and suddenly leaned forward, smearing the rest of the stuff on his face onto Arthur's shirt. "There!"

"Ah-" Arthur moved back, looking down at his shirt. "I only just put this on! And besides, aren't you supposed to be my servant today?" he asked with a huff.

"Well you were laughing!" Alfred told him with a huff. The second part of what Arthur said resonated in him though. "O-Oh, right... Sorry, Master..."

"Hmph. Well since you spilled on it, take my shirt off."

"O-Oh."  _Oh_. Slowly approaching, Alfred first laid his hands flat on Arthur's upper chest before moving to undo the top button. He kept his head tilted down and his eyes firmly trained on the row of buttons ahead.

Arthur's breathing slowed, and he watched the other carefully.

Very aware of Arthur's gaze, Alfred's hands moved down to the second and then third buttons. "Is this okay?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"Hm? Of course..." Arthur murmured back.

"Okay..." The fourth button came undone, followed swiftly by the rest. Alfred slipped the fabric from his shoulders. "There."

"Thank you." Arthur stood then, and raised a brow at Alfred. "Now I'm going to bring some other shirts in for me to wear, will you choose on for me?"

"I'd love to!" Alfred grinned happily.

Arthur was back soon with a small selection of clothes, and he held up a few choices for Alfred.

"Mmm..." Alfred studied each one critically. Then, he pointed to a dark green long sleeved shirt that looked more like a sweater than a shirt. However, it was still thin and looked to be tight enough to hug Arthur's body nicely. "That one!"

"This one?" Arthur held it up, raising a brow, before sitting by the pool with it and throwing it into Alfred's hands. "Put it on me, then."

Careful not to wet the shirt, Alfred clambered out of the water and gently slipped the garment on. "There you go..." he murmured, running his hands down Arthur's chest when he was done.

Arthur shivered a little, letting his eyes flick up to Alfred, where they paused. Then, letting out a small sigh, Arthur leaned towards the other a little.

Alfred gasped. Wait. Was this happening? Was Arthur going to- The merman's heart sped up and he leaned in a tiny bit as well.

Their lips were inches apart before Arthur came to his senses, shaking himself out of his daze and turning red as he pulled away. "A-Ah- yes- I brought some clothes for you to wear too."

Alfred tried to hide his disappointment with a smile. "Really? What kind of clothes?"

"Um..." Flustered, Arthur turned to flick through the clothes he brought in. He decided on one first, and held up a suit he'd picked up that had been a little too big for his liking. "This?"

"...I hope you're not expecting me to put that on now," Alfred muttered, his voice slightly more sullen than usual.

Arthur blinked. "Wha- why not?"

"No reason to wear it now. Do you have anything else?"

"I-I- um..." Then Arthur frowned and braced himself- he wouldn't become meek over something so trivial. "You're meant to do as I say, remember? So put it on."

Oh. Right. "...Fine then." Alfred held his hand out for the clothing.

Handing it over with a raised brow, Arthur then sat back.

The merman slowly put it on, struggling a little with keeping it dry. He eventually sat on the edge of the pool, the clothes in place but a little crooked.

"Come here..." Arthur murmured, crouching in front of the merman and straightening his outfit out. He made sure to keep his eyes down, the almost-kiss and Alfred's behavior afterwards still making him feel awkward.

Alfred on the other hand was staring right at Arthur's face. He watched the Brit, a tiny part of him still hoping for something.

When he was finished, Arthur's eyes finally flicked up to Alfred's, and he paused, flushing a little. "Th- There..."

"Thanks, Art- I mean Master," Alfred said quietly.

"Of course," Arthur murmured, turning just a bit darker at 'master'. He kind of liked it.

Alfred lowered his gaze. "Is there anythin' else you want me to try on?"

"Ah." Arthur blinked and looked behind him, then stood to get some more clothes. He held up a simple t-shirt and few different jackets and jumpers. "It's somewhat hard to pick out an outfit when you don't wear trousers... But any of these?"

"Why are you asking me? I'll try it all on if you want me to," Alfred told him, still looking steadfastly down.

"R-Right...well, these then," Arthur said, placing the clothes by the pool.

"Okay." Alfred stripped from the fancy clothes and pulled on a dark t shirt.

"It suits you," Arthur said quietly, trying a small smile.

"You think?" Alfred smiled back and looked down at himself.

Arthur's own smile grew at this, glad that Alfred didn't seem as down anymore. "Of course."

"Thanks." The merman looked up a bit and gave a soft chirp. "Should I do the next one too?"

"Sure," Arthur replied with a small chuckle.

Alfred went through all the clothes that Arthur had left for him, seeking approval for each one before moving on. When he finished all of them he flopped back into the pool, in a much better mood now than he was before. "Anything else, Master?"

"Mm..." Arthur tilted his head in thought, watching the other. "Hold me until I think of something."

"H-Hold you?" Alfred's eyes widened, but he held out his hands obediently.

"Of course." Arthur sighed softly and moved into the other's arms. He was allowed to be a little selfish, right? "I have been away for a few days, I think I deserve to relax, hm? You should be pampering me."

"A-Ah, right." Alfred held the Brit gently against himself, chirping softly and stroking Arthur's back.

Humming, Arthur leaned into it and closed his eyes.

"Am I pampering you okay?" Alfred asked him in a quiet voice, not stopping his petting and stroking.

"Mm, yes," Arthur murmured, nuzzling gently to Alfred and sighing.

The nuzzling made Alfred smile and he squeezed the man a little tighter. "I'm glad..."

"Mhm..." Wrapping his own limbs around the other, Arthur relaxed into him and hummed.

"What's all this affection, hmm?" Alfred asked, mimicking Arthur's questions whenever Alfred got too touchy.

"What? Is it bad?" Arthur said with a huff.

"No... I'm just wondering why."

"Well why can't I? It feels nice..."

"Heh, okay. I'll cuddle you more, Artie." Alfred wrapped his arms more firmly around Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur huffed again. "Good."

Letting out a breathy chuckle, Alfred rocked back and forth. "You seem like someone that needs lots of affection."

"Wha- Why? I-I don't..."

"Well you like it so much... You probably didn't have a lot as a kid, did you?"

"I-It doesn't matter," Arthur muttered. "I didn't need it anyway."

"Everyone needs affection." Alfred's tone saddened.

"It's fine," Arthur mumbled.

"Well then." Alfred suddenly puffed his chest out. "I'll make sure you get lots of it now to make up for it!"

"Ah- y-you don't have to, Alfred..."

"But I want to! I can't do too much, for you, but this I can! So let me do it! Please, Artie?" Alfred turned his pleading eyes on him.

Arthur stuttered a little, before letting out a soft sigh. "I suppose there's no stopping you, is there?"

"Nope! But hmph! Don't act so insulted by it!"

"I'll act how I want..." Arthur grumbled.

"Sooo like a pouty baby?" Alfred was grinning then.

"Wha-" Arthur blinked up at Alfred with wide, offended eyes. "I am not like that!"

"Oh you so are!" Alfred cleared his throat. "All like 'Oh I don't need affection. I'll act how I want'," he said, imitating Arthur's accent.

"Uh!" Arthur huffed and lightly hit Alfred's chest, flushing slightly. "That's not me!"

Chuckling again, Alfred caught the hand and held it tightly. "Ooh, and now we've moved on to the hitting," he teased.

Arthur reddened violently, sputtering a little. "I-I- No!"

"Then what are you doing?"

"I..." Arthur scowled behind his deep blush, then simply huffed.

"Heh. You look cute..." Alfred sprouted.

"I-I'm not cute, you twat," Arthur muttered, blushing even more if that was at all possible.

"You are! Cute is like nice and pretty and...cute, right? You're cute!"

"I- H-how?!"

"Well how are you not?"

"Well-" Arthur huffed. He wasn't inclined to admit he was cute, but he wasn't inclined to admit he wasn't either. "I may not look bad, but I'm not cute either. I'm gruff and haughty and have a rough mouth, and I have high expectations for everything. Not. Cute."

"No, you look nice! And you are nice to me! Plus you don't have high expectations for me! You are cute!"

After a small moment, Arthur relaxed his stance and sighed slightly. "I can't win to you, can I?"

"Nope!" Grinning victoriously, Alfred gave him a squeeze.

Heart jumping at that smile, Arthur hugged back tightly, closing his eyes. "...You're the one who's cute, you idiot," he muttered to himself under his breath.

"What?" Alfred frowned, hearing the words. "How am I cute?"

"Ah- Y-You just are, alright?"

"Well that's not a reason!"

Growling softly, Arthur pressed his forehead against the other's, looking into his eyes. "You're my servant and I'm your master, right? So you have to listen to what I say. And I say you're cute."

"A-Ah, okay..." Alfred met his gaze shyly.

"...Good."

By that point, Alfred had to avert his eyes. He pulled his forehead away and looked down. "Yes, Master."

Arthur pulled back a bit too and huffed gently. "Right. And you should keep being cute."

"H-How do I do that, Master?"

"Just being you should be fine," Arthur murmured, leaning onto the other. "...And smile."

"I can do that," Alfred said, his lips curling up a tiny bit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw it, and he gave a small smile as well, glad. "...Good," he said quietly.

Alfred leaned back then, so that they were both lying on the edge of the pool, the merman curled around the human with his tail no longer in the water.

"Ah..." Arthur clung all the tighter, gladly snuggling in, though he would never admit that he was aware of it.

They stayed like that for a good long while, though after about twenty minutes Alfred started to feel wrong. It was due to his tail drying out, but he knew Arthur liked it and besides, he hadn't been given the order to stop. He held in his whines and nuzzled to the man as a distraction.

"What is it?" Arthur asked after a few moments, noticing the other's increased affection.

"Nothi-" Alfred paused and dropped the act. "C-Could I go in the water?"

Arthur blinked and looked up. "Wh- O-Oh... Right, of course," he said, sitting up and shuffling to the side.

"Sorry, Master," Alfred mumbled, then fled to the water.

Arthur watched for a moment, a pool of guilt settling in his stomach. "...A-Ah- I-I'm sorry, Alfred!"

Alfred didn't hear him, being underwater, and he rubbed the water deep into his scales to speed up the relief.

Arthur simply bit his lip and hung his head.

After a few moments Alfred swam up to the surface again, frowning when he saw Arthur's posture. "A-Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked and looked up at the other.

"Are you okay?"

"I... I'm sorry, Alfred, " Arthur mumbled softly. "I didn't realize-"

"Hey, it's okay." Alfred gave him a small smile. "No harm done."

"Are you sure?" Arthur frowned slightly, concerned.

"Yeah! The stingin' will fade soon enough and I wasn't out too too long!"

Arthur sighed, though he was still a little guilty. "All right."

"Yeah! So umm, want me to do anything else?"

"No. No, that's it for now..."

Alfred cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure, Artie?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Okay!" The merman slipped underwater again, rubbing up against the bottom of the pool and giving a few rolls.

Arthur watched him, shuffling up to the very edge and letting his feet rest in the pool.

Feeling the disruption in the water, Alfred turned to him and waved before continuing with his play. The time flew by until it was time to go to bed and Alfred emerged. "...Do you wanna sleep here tonight?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked, his eyebrows raising a little. "...I suppose I may as well," he replied.

"Really? Let's go!"

"Now?" Arthur shrugged and smiled, moving towards the mattress. "All right then."

"Yeah!" Alfred slipped onto it and wriggled into a comfortable position.

Arthur soon followed, and shifted a little closer to the merman.

Alfred wrapped himself around Arthur again, this time making sure that his tail was safe, and held him close. "Would you like me to just hold you here until you sleep, Master?" he asked breathily.

After a moment, Arthur relaxed gladly into it, pleasantly flushed. "...Yes," he mumbled.

"Okay, Master. Good night!" Alfred kissed his forehead and cuddled him.

The next morning, when Arthur woke up, he glanced up to find Alfred still asleep and gladly shuffled closer to him.

In his sleep, Alfred wrapped more closely around him. He buried his nose into Arthur's hair and mumbled out a slur of the Brit's name.

This made Arthur smile a little, and he leant into it, murmuring back a reply. "Hey, Alfred..."

"My Arrrthurr..." Alfred said, his voice muffled a bit by Arthur's hair.

Arthur turned a little pink at this, hiding his face in Alfred's skin. "...You're  _my_  servant at the moment, you know," he said quietly.

"Mmh..." Alfred let out a snore.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle then, hiding his face more to muffle his laughs. "You are utterly ridiculous, you know," he murmured softly, smiling up at Alfred. "First talking in your sleep, now snoring..."

The merman snored happily on for another few minutes before waking with a moan and another utter of Arthur's name. "Mm... Mornin'," he said sleepily, blinking and looking around.

"Ah, good morning..." Arthur replied quietly, smiling a little.

"Morning, Master! Did you sleep well?" Alfred asked, stretching a little and then holding him closer.

"Mm, I did... How about you?"

"I slept well too! It's nice to have something to curl around though."

Arthur chuckled a little. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Yeah! Sleeping alone is never fun," the merman mumbled, nuzzling to Arthur again. "Will you go make breakfast now? I know that's usually the servant's job, but I can't exactly cook anything unless you have a portable kitchen..."

Arthur raised a brow. "Hm... Well I guess," he replied with a huff.

"So... Are you gonna do it then or?" Alfred prompted lightly.

"Okay!" The merman rolled over him and off the mattress. He landed in the water with a splash and grinned up at the man.

Arthur shook his head with a chuckle and headed off to the kitchen. Within a few minutes he was back with a portable barbeque.

"...What is that?" Alfred frowned when he saw it.

"Portable barbeque. So you can cook something," Arthur replied, pushing it towards him and dropping some food and a skillet next to it.

"Y-You want me to cook?" Alfred looked at him with wide eyes.

Arthur raised a brow. "You are my servant, are you not?"

"Well I am..."

"Exactly. So you can cook dinner."

"You mean breakfast, right? Either way, are you sure you want me to?"

Arthur shrugged. "It'll be fine, right?"

"It should be, I've watched cooking shows before!" Alfred still looked apprehensive, not wanting to screw this up.

"Well, go ahead then. Do you want me to light the fire?"

"Yeah, Master, if you could."

"All right." Arthur did so, then leaned back to let Alfred use it.

"Um." Alfred thought for a moment, then decided to try and make an omelet on the skillet. He cracked two eggs and whisked them up like he'd seen the woman on TV do and then spilled the mixture onto the warm surface.

Arthur watched with a raised brow, interested in Alfred cooking.

After a few minutes Alfred flipped it, a small pout gracing his lips when he noticed that the bottom was darker than it should have been. He sighed though, and leaned closer to the grill to make sure that the other side would be okay. He had to get this right.

Chuckling slightly in amusement, Arthur waited for him to finish.

"Don't laugh!" Alfred cried, shooting Arthur a frustrated look before gazing back at the food.

"Heheh, yes, yes," Arthur replied.

Alfred splashed him off-handedly, then a moment later took the omelet off. He inspected it an, finding it meeting his standards, put it on a plate. "There you go, Master."

Smiling a little, Arthur took it from him and grabbed the cutlery to start eating. "Thank you."

"No problem, Master! Umm... Could I have a bit though?" Alfred looked at him hopefully. "I don't wanna make another one for myself..."

"Heh, of course," Arthur replied, cutting it in half and pushing it towards Alfred.

"Thank you, Master!" Alfred leaned forward and gave Arthur's cheek a quick kiss before looking down and digging into the food. It was a little more tasteless than he would have wanted, but it wasn't too bad.

Arthur blinked, cheeks reddening at the kiss, and after a few moments cleared his throat and started on the food himself.

By that time Alfred had finished and was busy playing with one of the mechanical fish. The silvery toy zoomed around underwater, one overexcited merman on its tail. He figured that Arthur would call him or come get him when he next wanted something.

After taking the dishes out, Arthur sat by the edge of the pool.

After about fifteen minutes of nothing, Alfred poked his head above the water. "Artie?"

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head.

"What do you wanna do with me now?"

"Oh- well I don't mind, really. I suppose you could give me another massage or a hug, though."

"Ah, I could! Come onto the mattress, then! I'll massage you!" Alfred eagerly flopped onto the mattress.

Smiling a little, Arthur came forwards and lay on the mattress himself.

The merman immediately leaned over him, fingers gently digging into the man's back to loosen it. He was pleased to note there were considerably less knots than the previous day.

Eyes fluttering shut, Arthur let out a low, pleased hum. It really was nice to have a massage.

Alfred was smiling as well and he arched his back as he moved down Arthur's back. And it was at that moment that the door opened.

"Hey-" Gilbert paused when he saw the scene. "Well, well... I hope I'm not disrupting anything," he said, snickering.

Arthur's eyes flew open and he jumped, shooting straight over the edge of the mattress and falling in the pool.

Gilbert burst into howling laughter, hands clutching his sides. He gasped for breath wheezing with mirth, while Alfred steadied himself on the mattress, looking confused.

Arthur was soon at the edge of the pool, and he hit Gilbert's arm with a huff. "Shut it, you," Arthur grumbled.

"Oh- Oh  _Gott_ -!" Gilbert wiped tears from his eyes. "I didn't interrupt anything though? You haven't made your move yet?"

"My move-?! I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Yeah you do. Anyway, I came to get my movies." The Prussian strode to the entertainment system.

Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, take them," he said.

"Hey, you sure you want me to take all of them? There are a couple of good ones we didn't get to-"

"Christ, Gilbert, take them!" Arthur interrupted.

"Okay, okay!" Gilbert grabbed the disks and retreated to the door. "Have fun and remember, use a condom!" he yelled cheerfully, then was gone.

And Arthur was left bristling and flustered, red-faced as he glared at the closing door.

Alfred had also turned red, and he swam slowly to the edge of the pool. "...Artie?" he asked carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Wh- Ah, y-yes, of course I am!" Arthur replied slightly too quickly, turning back to Alfred.

"O-Okay..." Alfred watched him for a moment. "Are you sure? D-Don't pay attention to him, right?"

"Y-Yes... He's just an idiot, after all," Arthur said with a small huff.

Alfred didn't necessarily agree with that statement - Gilbert seemed like a pretty damn smart guy - but he didn't say anything about it. "Yeah..." He offered Arthur a small smile. "Let's forget that all happened?" The suggestion was more for the Brit's benefit.

Arthur shrugged. "I don't really mind, sure."

"Okay." Alfred hesitantly held out a hand to him. "Wanna... Wanna go back to what we were doing before, Master?"

"Ah... Right, of course," Arthur said, taking the hand with a tiny smile.

"Come on, then." Alfred pulled him gently into the water and towards the mattress.

Blinking in slight surprise, Arthur climbed onto the mattress and lay down.

Alfred resumed the massage, though his hands moved more stiffly across Arthur's back now, and the merman himself was tense. This couldn't go on. He had to distance himself emotionally- if Gilbert saw them and thought sex, no matter how perverted he was, that meant something. The merman decided on strict professionalism.

Arthur noticed the change, and he frowned slightly, shifting, but he put up with it nonetheless. Maybe it was his imagination.

Finishing up the massage in less than five minutes, Alfred sat back. "There you go."

"Ah... Thank you..." Arthur murmured, sitting up himself.

"No problem!" Alfred gave him a small smile. "So uh... Anything else, Master?"

"Mm, not yet," Arthur replied, leaning back and smiling up at Alfred. "Tell me nice things."

"Nice things?" Alfred tilted his head. "Nice things about what?"

"About me." Arthur cocked a brow. "Since you're my servant."

Oh. Well shit. There went his plan to distance himself. Alfred's face reddened and he looked down. "Well... I like how nice you are to me. And you're really c-cute and handsome." He coughed. "And you always know what you want, that's good. And you're a good master and I dunno what else... You're just good."

"Heh..." Arthur chuckled slightly, giving Alfred a soft smile. "Well I'm glad you think so..."

"Yeah, I-I do think so." Alfred looked down again and sat down on the edge of the mattress. "There's probably other stuff too, but I can't think of it now."

"Hmm, well that's fine, I suppose," Arthur replied with a small good-humored huff.

"Yeah..." Alfred suddenly looked vacantly out across the sky. "Hey Arthur?"

"Hm?"

"Could you tell me something?"

"Of course."

"Could... Could you tell me about the outside world?"

"The outside world...?" Arthur's brows rose and he tipped his head a little. "Is there anything in particular.?"

"W-Well..." Alfred lowered his gaze. "Could you tell me about the ocean? I'm starting to forget it..."

Arthur blinked. "Oh... Yes. It's incredible, really- so vast and blue..." Trailing off, Arthur looked at Alfred's face and sighed. He felt so bad- the ocean was Alfred's home, after all, and he couldn't even see it. He couldn't live in his natural habitat, hell, he couldn't even live outside of this one room, and Arthur hated to think how confined Alfred must feel sometimes, unable to have the room to stretch his tail. "...I'll take you there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooooh, Alfred gets to go out!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time~

"T-Take me there?" Alfred's face lit up with so much raw hope. "Really? You really mean it?"

Arthur watched the other a moment, a small, slightly sad smile crossing his face, and nodded. "Of course. Hey, we can go tomorrow if you want."

"Really?" Alfred's voice squeaked in his excitement.

Steeling himself, Arthur reminded himself that it was better for Alfred anyway. And he should be used to people leaving him by now. "Yes, really," he said with a small chuckle.

"Thank you, Arthur!" Alfred gave him a brilliant smile, wriggling a tiny bit. He'd see his home again! Even if it was only for a little while, it would be nice.

"You're welcome," Arthur replied with a smile.

"Really, Artie! It's gonna feel so nice!" Alfred sprawled back on the mattress, eyes closed, already imagining it.

"...I'm glad you're happy," Arthur said, and that was possibly one of the only things he could say right now.

"Me too!" Alfred let out a happy sigh and curled up. Then, a few moments later, he suddenly sat up and opened his arms. "Oh, right! Wanna cuddle some more, Master?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked, then smiled a little and shuffled into Alfred's arms. "...I suppose," he said quietly.

"Mmm..." Alfred wrapped his arms tightly around Arthur's shoulders and gave him a tight squeeze. A squeal escaped his mouth. "Artie!"

Arthur chuckled softly at this. "What?" he asked, leaning into the other gladly.

"Just...thank you."

"Ah... It's all right, really."

"Mmm..." Alfred rubbed against him for a bit and then settled down, wrapping tightly around the man.

Letting out a soft grunt, Arthur soon let his eyes close and sighed lightly, letting his own hands come up to Alfred's shoulders.

Alfred held him tightly until the sun set and Arthur had to get up to eat. He brought the food into the pool room and the two shared a meal, and then of course they retired to bed. They were on the mattress again, the merman curled around the human.

Arthur woke him up early the next morning. At first Alfred was grumpy about it, but then he remembered where they were going and lit up. He was transported to Arthur's car and covered in wet towels, with a bucket of seawater next to him, and they drove to a private beach that Arthur had rented for the day. The Brit had also brought along a wheelchair to get Alfred to the water, and before noon the merman was frolicking in the waves while Arthur watched him from the rocks on the shoreline.

Arthur chuckled a little as he watched, glad to see Alfred playing so happily. He'd probably want to stay there forever if he could- it'd be understandable. Maybe Arthur would even suggest it...

Once Alfred had his fill of playing, he dragged himself up to Arthur and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Artie! This is great!" He rubbed against the man for a moment before slipping back down again. "I'll see you later!" he called absently, his mind eager with exploring now that the first wave of excitement had been worn off a little.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, watching the spot where Alfred left.

Alfred was underwater again, thoroughly checking out every crack and crevice of the shoreline while the waves swirled overhead. The rocks were a safe haven for lots of creatures, and Alfred wanted to see as many of them as possible before he had to go back.

By then Arthur was starting to get worried, and he frowned softly. The merman had been gone for a good ten minutes, and he couldn't even see any sign of the blue tail. "A-Alfred...?" he called.

But Alfred was a bit further down the shore by then, and there was no chance of him hearing the calls.

"Alfred?!" After receiving no response, Arthur shifted back. Alfred hadn't left already, had he? Without saying anything? His eyes turned sad as he watched the waves.

Alfred stayed underneath the waves for another fifteen minutes before returning to Arthur's side with a pretty rock he'd found. "Hey Artie-" He paused when he saw the look on Arthur's face and dropped the rock, moving quickly to the his side. "A-Artie? What's wrong, why are you so sad?"

Arthur's head snapped up at the voice, and his eyes widened before he jumped at Alfred and hugged him tightly.

"Wh- Arthur?" Alfred hugged back, gently stroking Arthur's back. There was a confused look on his face. "Arthur, what happened?"

"Where the bloody hell- I thought you left!" Arthur said, his voice unwillingly wavering a little as he clung tighter to the other.

"Left?! What?" Alfred pushed Arthur back and grabbed the Brit's face in his hands. "Why would I leave you?!"

Arthur met the blue eyes with some trepidation, then dropped them. "You- This is your home... You prefer it, right?"

Alfred's brows furrowed again in confusion. "Prefer it? What do you mean?" He gently lifted Arthur's chin a bit more to force the other to look at him.

"W-Well- you looked like you were having so much fun. And there's more space for you here, you can have more room. It's... Where you should be..."

"...Arthur." Alfred stared at him. "You thought I was gonna leave you? That I wanted to come here because I was planning on vanishing into the ocean?"

Arthur shifted a little. "...Yes."

"Oh Artie..." Alfred leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Arthur's. "My home is with you."

Arthur blinked up at the other, then gave a tiny smile. "I- Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Alfred smiled back. "Yeah I miss the ocean, but if I went back then I'd miss you more. Plus there'd be the chance that I got captured again. I wanna stay with you, Artie, always," he murmured.

"Alfred..." Arthur reached a hand up to stroke Alfred's hair, his wet-eyed smile growing as he did so.

"Yeah?" Alfred leaned into it, allowing his eyelids to close halfway.

"Thank you..." Arthur murmured quietly.

"Of course." Alfred couldn't help himself and leaned forward to kiss Arthur's forehead. "So don't think I'm unhappy or giving up my freedom, okay?"

Arthur sighed softly at the contact, his eyes slipping shut for a moment before he looked back up at Alfred. "Okay... It must get to you sometimes, though, just stuck in that room all the time... I-Is there anything I can do to help that?"

Alfred looked at him and shrugged. "Just... Be there? There's no like, general thing you can do. But if I need something at a certain time I'll tell you, kay?"

"All right," Arthur replied with a small smile. "I'm sorry, making a fuss over nothing."

"No, it's nice to see that you care so much." Alfred nuzzled to him and gave him a squeeze.

"Ah..." Eyes closing, Arthur wrapped his own arms around Alfred again and squeezed back gently.

"Artie... You were being silly. But thanks for thinkin' so much about me and my happiness." Alfred looked over Arthur's shoulder at the ocean and sighed. "I wish I could show you all the pretty sights down there."

Arthur turned a little red and sighed himself. "Maybe you can, one day," he mumbled.

"I hope so. There's no one else I'd wanna." Alfred smiled. "Wanna swim with me though?"

"Heh, all right," Arthur said, taking Alfred's hand.

The merman laced their fingers together, his heart leaping, and pulled Arthur towards the water. "You'll be okay, right?"

"I-I should be..." Arthur let out a breath, then squeezed Alfred's hand and smiled a little. "I'm with you, anyway."

"I won't let anything happen to you." Alfred glanced at him at the squeeze. "I promise."

"I know. I trust you."

"I'm glad." Alfred pulled them into the water, hanging onto a rock with his other hand for stability. "You okay?"

"Ah- yes, I am," Arthur replied quietly, looking down at the waves and holding onto Alfred tightly.

"We don't gotta if you don't feel good." Alfred gave him a smile.

Arthur shook his head. "It's fine. I'm fine. If you're here, I'm fine."

"Okay." Moving slowly and carefully, Alfred separated from the rocks and tugged Arthur out into some more open water. "Is this alright?"

Nodding a little, the Brit carefully treaded water. "Yeah."

"Okay. You're doing awesome, Artie!" Alfred flashed him a smile.

"I'm just floating here," Arthur replied with a tiny huff.

"You're still doing well!" Alfred saw that Arthur had been nervous earlier, so it wouldn't hurt to praise him even for the little things.

"...Thank you," Arthur murmured back, glancing down with a little embarrassment.

"Of course! Tell me when you wanna go further."

"Ah... We can go if you want."

"Are you sure?"

Arthur nodded with determination.

Smiling, Alfred gave his hand another squeeze before pulling him out more.

Arthur followed after him, pushing himself along and keeping a tight grip on Alfred's hand.

"You're brave, Artie," Alfred told him, then suddenly smirked and let go of Arthur's hand. A moment later, he vanished underwater.

"Wha-" Arthur's eyes suddenly widened at this and he splashed a little in the water as he quickly steadied himself. "A-Alfred? What the-  _bloody_  hell are you doing?!" he called, trying to keep himself above the waves- and he could, quite easily, but that didn't stop the Brit panicking over it.

Alfred heard the shouts and, after chasing away some stray curious fish, he swam closer. He hoped Arthur wouldn't be too scared. Then, he allowed his tail to brush against Arthur's leg.

"Jesus-!" Arthur yelped, jumping and splashing backwards, looking down at  _whatever it was_  that touched him and huffing when he saw it was- "Alfred! That isn't funny!"

"Eheh." Alfred popped up and looked at him. "What?"

"Christ- where did you go off to?!" Arthur huffed. "I could've- I could've fallen under!"

"I wouldn't have let you!" Alfred's face fell a bit. "I wouldn't have let you go under!"

"Hmph, well you better not have," Arthur replied with yet another small huff.

"I-I wouldn't... Sorry..." Alfred grabbed his hand and started swimming towards the shoreline again.

"Wh- A-Alfred, what are you doing?"

"You're scared. We're going back."

"What- no!" Arthur frowned, wide eyes, and tried to pull back.

"But you are..." Alfred stopped though, and looked down. "I was stupid and made you scared. We can go back."

"No!" Arthur actually looked a little hurt at the suggestion, and he stubbornly stayed put. "I brought you here and you're enjoying it, so we're not going!"

Alfred stared at him with wide eyes, but eventually nodded. "Okay," he said, a tiny smile on his face. "Sorry for scaring you, though..."

"Pff, as if I'd get scared like that." Arthur scoffed, raising an eyebrow in dismissal- but then, almost as if to prove him wrong, a wave crashed around him, alarming him and making him jump a little.

Alfred immediately wrapped him into a hug, soothing him. "Hey, I'm here. It's okay... The little wave won't hurt you."

Arthur huffed softly, giving Alfred's shoulder a gentle punch, but he snuggled into it anyway. "...I know that," he mumbled.

"I know. Just reassuring you." Alfred gave him a squeeze. "You sure you don't wanna go back?"

"I'm fine," Arthur murmured, leaning into the other's touch.

"Okay." The merman smiled more and allowed them to drift back out to where they had been before.

Arthur stayed close to Alfred, still holding onto him.

"Heh." Alfred looked down at him and grabbed both of his hands. "Hang on, Artie!" And he started to twirl in the water, laughing and making sure that Arthur was safe.

"Ah-" Arthur's eyes widened, and he tried to be affronted at the whole thing, but in all honesty, he couldn't help but enjoy it a little (maybe more than a little). "A-Alfred- what are you doing?" he managed to ask.

"Having fun!" Alfred shouted gleefully. He gradually stopped twirling, but his face lost none of its happy glow.

Arthur laughed softly at this. "Of course you are," he said warmly.

"Yeah, I am! Wanna do that some more?"

"Heh, why not?"

"Awesome!" Alfred twirled again, though this time the two of them were closer together.

A small, but pleased flush settled over Arthur's face, and he smiled a little. "See, how do you think I'd be scared like this, hm?" he said quietly.

"Hah! No way you'd be scared with your hero of the waves!" Alfred cried out, throwing his head back and laughing to the sky.

Arthur couldn't stop himself from laughing as well, though more out of mirth at the other's antics, and he shook his head. "You are actually absolutely, utterly ridiculous, you know that?" he said fondly.

"You love it, though!" Alfred replied matter-of-factly, and only after a moment did he blush faintly at his words.

The Brit only chuckled more at this. "I never said I didn't."

"So you do?" Alfred asked, his voice a tiny bit quieter than it was before.

Arthur blinked, seemingly startled at this, and turned a healthy shade of red himself. "W-Well I... I-I suppose, yes I- ah..." The Brit chuckled awkwardly at his own nervousness of an Unknown Origin.

"I'm glad, Artie." Alfred hugged him tightly and burrowed his head in Arthur's neck.

"Ah... Y-Yes..." Arthur reached a hand up to the back of Alfred's head, carding his fingers through the golden hair.

"Mmm, yeah, keep doing that, Artie!" Alfred closed his eyes and leaned into it.

"Heh, right, you like this, don't you?" he murmured, stroking the other's hair gently.

"Yeah, I do!" Alfred sighed happily.

Twenty minutes later, after more hugging and happy frolicking, Alfred tugged the both of them back to the rocks along the shoreline. "I do hope that you brought food," Alfred commented, carefully helping Arthur get settled comfortably.

"Oh, of course," Arthur said with a small smile. "Tuna sandwich?"

"Yes! Yes that one I want that one!" Alfred wriggled happily and held his hands out, looking quite a bit like a small child.

"Heh, of course you do," Arthur replied, chuckling slightly as he rifled through the bag. He pulled out a small packet, sniffed it, and nodded, then handed Alfred the sandwich.

"Thanks, Artie!" Tearing the packet open, Alfred devoured the sandwich eagerly. When he was finished, he lay down on the rocks and closed his eyes.

Arthur was still eating at this point, and he smiled fondly down at the other, joining him moments later when he'd finished.

"Hey there, Artie." Alfred curled around him.

"Ah, hello," Arthur replied quietly, leaning into the other softly and closing his own eyes.

"Hi, hi!" Alfred hugged him and held him close. "Hey Artie?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Thank you." Alfred gave him a smile. "For, you know. Bringing me here. It means so much to me..."

Arthur blinked, then smiled back at Alfred gently, bringing a hand up to stroke his cheek. "Of course, don't mention it. I'm glad you're enjoying it."

"Well I wanna mention it." Alfred huffed at him. His own hand rose to cover Arthur's, and he gave it a small squeeze.

Arthur's smile stretched wider against his will, and he let out a breathy chortle. "Well you're welcome, then."

"I-I know you don't like hearing this..." Alfred's face grew soft and hesitant. "But I'm really glad you got me, Artie," he said softly.

"Don't mention it..."Arthur only realized the implications of what he said after Alfred responded, and he turned a little pink in the cheeks, but Alfred hadn't seemed to have noticed, so the Brit cleared his throat and ploughed on. "A-And yes, of course you have me- I'm here, aren't I?"

"You are. And I'm here too!" Alfred smiled a bit. "And we're each other's, right?"

"Ah- y-yes, I suppose we are."

"That's good, Artie." Alfred held him more tightly.

Arthur just hummed in assent, choosing, instead of a reply, to close his eyes and hug back, relaxing.

"Can we come back to the beach every few weeks during the spring and winter? Just so I could see it occasionally?" Alfred asked after a few moments. His eyes were trained on Arthur's face the whole time, just taking in the details.

His brows were ever so slightly less furrowed than usual, and his mouth was drawn peacefully as a small hum escaped it. "Of course, I don't see why not," Arthur replied quietly.

"Awesome..." Alfred whispered, watching him with awe. Arthur was beautiful, breathtaking, gorgeous, every flattering word that came to Alfred's mind was immediately applied to the Brit before him. It would be so easy to just lean down and kiss... The merman had actually started to lean forward before he jolted out of it and settled back on the rocks.

Arthur felt the motion, and he frowned ever so slightly, before he relaxed and leant into it.

"...Hey Artie?" Alfred found his voice once again a few minutes later. "Let's go home?"

"Hm?" Arthur opened his eyes, glancing up at the other. "If you want to, then all right."

"Yeah. I'm getting a bit cold." Alfred smiled sheepishly. "And I wanna take a nap with you on our mattress! We'll position it right in a patch of sunlight and it'll be awesome!"

"Heh, all right then," Arthur murmured, smiling a little. "Let's go home, then."

Home. Alfred's stomach lurched pleasantly at the word. "Yeah. Let's go home."

It wasn't long after that the two were settled at home, snuggled together after (not much) insistence from Alfred.

Alfred slept well, as he always did with Arthur by his side, and once the both of them had woken up Arthur had to go off and work for a bit. Alfred entertained himself with mechanical fish, looking forward to when the Brit would return and they could be together again. He looked up eagerly when Arthur reentered the room, but his eagerness faded when he saw Arthur's drawn face. He slept alone that night for the first time in a long while, curled up and wishing he had Arthur in his arms.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a major chapter! Also, a lot of people were wondering about Arthur's behavior at the end of the last chapter and it really was a minor detail! He was just stressed from work, so don't worry! Our Brit is all right~

"Hey, Artie!" Alfred looked up eagerly when the door opened, and he couldn't help positioning himself on the edge of the pool in such a manner that his new abs were shown off. Nearly a month had passed since the beach, and the merman had discreetly been doing push-ups and sit-ups to try and gain some more muscle mass. And it was working. His muscles were nicely formed again, even exceeding their previous parameters in places, and Alfred was happy.

He couldn't help it, really. He had fallen head over heels over that month, and Arthur consumed most of his thoughts. He knew that there was very little chance of Arthur seeing him as a potential partner, but you couldn't blame a guy for trying, could you?

"Ah- hello," Arthur replied, his eyes momentarily flicking to Alfred's body. He'd noticed the changes over the past few weeks, however much he pretended to himself he hadn't, and it definitely had an effect on him, however much he pretended to himself it didn't. What with work recently, Arthur hadn't really thought about it anyway (or so he told himself), but he still found the time to see Alfred each day as he usually did. So Arthur smiled a little at Alfred as he came to sit besides the merman.

"Did you sleep well?" Alfred tilted his head and hauled himself out next to him.

"I did. And you?"

"Coulda been better." Alfred glanced at him and shifted closer so tail brushed against thigh.

Arthur blinked down at the sudden touch, flushing very slightly, then pulled his gaze up to look at Alfred with concerned eyes. "Oh? Did something happen?"

"Well..." Alfred's hand slowly moved towards Arthur's, and he intertwined their pinky fingers gently. "It would've been nice to have someone to cuddle up to..."

"Wai-!" Breath catching, Arthur's heart stuttered, and he jumped a little at the action, pulling his hand away. He then stared down at the little finger, inspecting it almost accusingly, then started again. "I-I have a date later!" he said, by way of explanation, then cursed his mouth for running away before his thoughts caught up.

Alfred froze. "W-Wait, what?"

Oh shit. "W-Well I mean- I went out to that meeting a few days ago, and I went to a bar afterwards for a little bit. And there was a guy there and he asked me out and-"  _And I need to prove that I don't like you like that, that I'm only as conscious of you as I am other men, that this feeling in my chest (and occasionally my pants) is just because I'd been cooped up with you so long and haven't had much other contact with other men-_ "-he seemed all right, so I said yes."

Alfred's heart shattered. "I-I see." His chest felt warm and cold at the same time, and he had trouble breathing. "Okay." Hand trembling, he pulled it back and cradled it against his body. There was a roaring in his ears. Arthur didn't like him. Arthur would never like him. He felt faint, like he was going to throw up, but still he managed a smile. "I hope it works out for you..."

Arthur frowned slightly, sensing something wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it (or was he just pretending again?). "Ah... Thank you."

"Y-Yeah." Alfred slipped into the water and smiled more. "I'm gonna go sleep, Artie!"

"Wh- Already?" Arthur blinked, watching him. "We only just said good morning..."

"I'm still gonna go sleep!" Alfred vanished underwater.

"A-Alfred-" But it was too late. Arthur shifted, then slowly stood and left, with a murmur of 'I'll see you later'.

Alfred refused to come out for the rest of the day, no matter what Arthur did. That night was lonely.

The next evening, Arthur sighed as he looked over at Alfred's pool, minutes before leaving for his date. Why was the merman acting like this? The Brit had a niggling idea, but he quickly shook it off. Then it was time to go, and he attempted to say goodbye to Alfred before he left.

Alfred only bared his teeth at the human, glad that the water of the pool masked his tears.

And with that, Arthur was gone. He returned after a few hours, of course, coming into the pool room with a small sigh. Well, that was that.

Alfred broke the surface after a moment. "What do you want?"

"I was just..." Arthur gave a tiny smile. "Coming to say I'm home."

"Well then." Alfred didn't look impressed. "Welcome home, I guess. Hope ya had a great fucking time and all that."

The smile dropped immediately, and Arthur blinked, surprised and confused all at the same time and did Alfred just  _swear_? "Wh- A-Alfred..." Was he  _jealous_? Arthur shook that thought from his head immediately. Even if he was jealous, it was probably how any younger sibling or child or friend would get jealous when their older brother spent time with someone else.

"What?" Alfred's eyes narrowed. "Did you come to tell me all about your fricking  _awesome_  time?"

Arthur frowned slightly, taking a tentative couple of steps closer, but then stopping. "Wha- no! I- what's gotten into you?!"

"Nothing!" Alfred's tail flicked angrily, sending him to the edge of the pool. He glared up at Arthur, trying not to cry. "I don't- I don't fucking care that you went on a  _date_  and that he was  _human_  and nothing's wrong with me!" His arm muscles strained slightly as he gripped the cement.

Arthur jumped at this, eyes widening a fraction just before they narrowed again. "It didn't even work out!" The shout soon dulled into a stretching silence, Arthur thinking all the while that Alfred had seemed so riled up about it and he'd finally just figured out that he loved this idiotic fish-man and  _shit he'd almost let it slip then_. But, although his breathing was a little labored and his face was a little red (from embarrassment or frustration, only God knows), his eyes still held firm and strong.

Alfred snapped back, his eyes widening. "I-It didn't?" There was still hope? But a moment later his face hardened again. It didn't matter anyway. There was still no way Arthur would ever like someone not human. "Well good for you. Go find another stupid  _human_  and try again." Alfred hugged himself, refusing to meet Arthur's gaze.

"What- Why are you so obsessed with that idea?" There had to be another explanation, Alfred didn't like him, Alfred didn't like him-

"Because- Be-Because-" Alfred's throat closed off. He panted for a moment, seeking a way out of this lovely little hole he'd dug himself into, before he decided to just fuck it. "Because it doesn't matter who you're with because you won't be with me," he said in a choked whisper.

-or perhaps Alfred did like him. "...What?" Arthur asked quietly, unsure whether he heard right as he ever-so-slowly crouched down to be more level to Alfred.

"Because you won't be with me!" Alfred cried. He looked up, grabbed Arthur's face, and kissed him. It was a terrible kiss, really - their lips were unaligned, their teeth clicked together, and Alfred was pretty sure that he left a small trail of slobber on Arthur's cheek - but it was a kiss nonetheless. The merman held it for a moment and then vanished underwater.

After a moment, a small, shuddering breath came out of Arthur's mouth, and color rose in his cheeks as he stared forwards for a minute or two, the only tangible word going through his mind being  _Alfred_. He'd only just figured out that he'd actually fallen for him and now-  _Alfred Alfred Alfred. Alfred likes me. Alfred kissed me_. A second later and Arthur startled himself out of his thoughts, eyes and breath and heart and time moving again as his gaze flicked down into the pool. Then he made up his mind - well, he didn't really, he couldn't think at all, and this was all natural, spontaneous movement - and took a step toward the pool, and all of a sudden he was tumbling in. It couldn't be said for certain whether this was on purpose or by accident, but Arthur's subconscious had definitely planned a more graceful approach to entering the pool than a disgraceful plummet and a panicked, flailing splash as the Brit toppled in backwards- at the deeper end, too.

Alfred's eyes widened at the ripples above him. The merman had gotten a feeling during their excursion to the beach that Arthur didn't really like water, despite having had swum so well before. He shot up, gathering the Brit's body up into his arms. A moment later they broke the surface and Alfred towed him to the shallow end. "Arthur! Are you okay?!"

After a few coughs and splutters, Arthur looked up at Alfred. "Of... Of course I'm..." The next moment - Arthur wasn't sure exactly how it happened - but he was kissing Alfred, properly this time.

Alfred's eyes widened and then closed as he leaned into it. His arms moved to hold Arthur closer and his tail swished softly through the water to keep them afloat. One arm loosely wrapping around Alfred's neck and his other hand moving up to tangle in the merman's hair, Arthur kissed him softly, and yet still firmly enough to claim possession of Alfred's lips, and with no intention of stopping. The feelings were all strange and overwhelming and wonderful to Alfred. He gasped at the softness of Arthur's kisses but leaned into them all the same. His lips opened a fraction.

Getting a little disgruntled, Arthur used this opportunity to very quickly swipe his tongue along Alfred's bottom lip, teasingly willing him to kiss back more.

"Ah-!" That only made Alfred pull away altogether. He stared at Arthur with wide eyes and a still-open mouth. "What are you doing? Why- Why did you...?" He gave a helpless little shrug.

Arthur's eyes snapped open as Alfred moved away, and his face steadily grew red. "I- You..." Then, finally, his gaze dropped, his hand coming back and gripping Alfred's shoulder gently. "You know why, right...?"

"But..." Alfred looked down as well. "But you  _can't_  like me..." he whispered. "You can't like me back..."

Arthur looked up at that, lifting a hand to tilt Alfred's chin up, and then kissed him firmly. "... _You_  can't tell me what I can or can't do," he replied when he pulled back, his deep red blush now strongly rooted in his face, but his eyes were determined as he looked at Alfred. "S-So it's too late, I already do."

Alfred was red as well, but he still looked hesitant. "But I'm a mermaid. I'm not human, you can't tell anyone or anything, you can't-"

"I don't  _care_  about that, Alfred!" Clenching his teeth, Arthur shifted slightly and glanced back up at the other. "I can keep your photograph in my wallet and show people your face, I can pretend I don't have someone, I can do whatever works but- but you can't deny me the simple pleasure of being with the one I like."

Alfred's eyes filled with tears and he nodded. "A-And you really like me?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"...Of course I do," Arthur said quietly.

And Alfred laughed. His mouth stretched into a broad smile and tears streaked down his face as he let loose his joy. In the next moment he had hugged Arthur tight, as tightly as he could manage, and laughed into his shoulder. "I-I'm glad!" he managed to get out.

Arthur blinked, then his face softened as he wrapped his own arms gently around the other. "I can tell," he said with a small chuckle, then decided damnit all to hell, and laughed a little more.

"Artie, Artie..." Alfred repeated the name over and over, unable to get enough of it. His fingers tightened their grip on Arthur's shirt and he pressed kisses to the man's clothed shoulder.

"Heh, yes, yes, Alfred," Arthur murmured, smiling as he stroked the other's hair gently.

"Artie..." Alfred pulled back and looked at him in awe. "You're mine... You're really mine..."

Arthur smiled gently at this, tilting his head slightly. "...Yes. I am."

"Okay." Alfred smiled back. "Arthur? Can- Can I kiss you again?"

Smile growing a little, Arthur chuckled again. Gosh, he was doing that a lot, at the moment. "Of course. You don't have to ask me."

"I'm glad..." And Alfred leaned forward and kissed him gently.

Arthur's eyes had already slipped shut, and he gave a soft sigh as he pressed back against Alfred's lips.

The merman kept the kiss chaste, and after another second of holding it, he pulled back. "I- I still can't believe it. That you would even see me as..." He looked down and blushed a bit. "I tried to get you to notice and I hoped it would work, but I never imagined..."

Arthur gave a small, light laugh at this, lifting Alfred's face up gently. "To be honest, neither did I. It's a rather hard thing to imagine, after all," he said quietly.

"What is?" Alfred tilted his head softly.

Arthur shrugged. "Having my feelings returned, for one. And... Having feelings for a merman."

Alfred's face saddened. "I'm sorry I can't be human..."

"What- no..." Arthur frowned slightly, cupping Alfred's cheek with a hand. "Don't be sorry for that."

"But if I was human it'd be easier..." Alfred leaned into the hand, his eyes closing. "We could go out and stuff..."

Arthur huffed, frowning more. "Don't be ridiculous, Alfred. That doesn't matter."

"M'not..." Alfred glanced at him. "You really don't care about that stuff?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't have even met you if you were human."

Alfred leaned forward until his chin was resting on Arthur's shoulder. "Yeah, I guess..."

"Well it's true..." Arthur sighed softly, stroking the other's hair a little.

"Let's not think about that," Alfred suddenly announced. He wanted to be happy- Arthur liked him back! The merman pulled away from him again and offered a small smile. "Let's go to the mattress and swap stories!"

"Huh-" Arthur blinked. "S-Swap stories?"

"Yeah! Like how long we've liked each other and what we like about each other!" Alfred gave him a hopeful look. "A-And maybe you could sleep with me tonight?" They hadn't slept together on the mattress in a long time.

Turning slightly red, Arthur looked down for a moment, before glancing back up at Alfred with a shy smile. "...All right, I suppose we can do that."

Alfred positively lit up. "Thank you, Arthur!" He wrapped his arms around Arthur's body and gave him a massive hug.

"Ah..." Arthur hugged back after a moment, squeezing the other a tiny bit. "You don't need to thank me..."

"Come on, then!" Alfred took his hand, gently lacing their fingers together, and pulled him off towards the mattress. "Get on!"

Even when he felt the urge to giggle like a schoolgirl, Arthur resisted it, and simply climbed onto the mattress with a small smile.

Once the Brit was settled Alfred clambered on, and he immediately wrapped himself around the other. "Hey there, Artie," he whispered, smiling over at his new...boyfriend? Lover? Ah, it didn't matter. They were together.

"Hello," Arthur replied, his smile twitching up a bit. Then he let out a chuckle. "I'm, ah, still in my wet suit, you know..."

The look that came over Alfred's face was downright devilish. "Well then." The merman shifted so he was over Arthur. "You should get out of it."

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur turned a darker shade and shifted, unsure what exactly to do with that look in Alfred's eyes. "I-I probably should."

"Yeah!" Alfred quickly but carefully stripped him down to his underwear. Then he settled back down at his side and held him tightly. "Better?"

"Mm, yes." Arthur hummed, closing his eyes and snuggling in.

Alfred watched him in wonder. Then it suddenly occurred to him that he could just lean down and kiss the man before him. So he did, and he pressed a gentle kiss to Arthur's forehead. He pulled away smiling.

Arthur's eyes opened, and he blinked up at the other, a pleasant flush crossing his face. "Ah..."

"Hey there, Artie." Alfred's smile grew and he nuzzled briefly against the human. "Story time now?"

"Ah- Of course..." Leaning into it, Arthur smiled slightly. "Do- Do you want to go first...?"

"No, you tell me first!" Alfred told him, nuzzling to his neck.

"O-Oh, well... What do you want to know?"

"Since when?"

A little taken aback by the question, Arthur blinked and tilted his head in thought. "Well I... Only really realized it today... But I think I've been conscious of you for a while now. And recently it's - uh - probably been more than just conscious." Arthur turned red, then took a deep breath and quickly pushed on. "I-I mean within the past few weeks I've been thinking about it and uh, noticing you and things, but I suppose I didn't think it actually meant anything until today s-so..."

"R-Really?" Alfred flushed pleasantly.

"I- y-yes-"

"Oh Artie..." Alfred cut him off with a gentle kiss.

Blinking, Arthur's eyes widened, and his face turned darker. God, he wasn't used to this yet... Still, he soon relaxed and leaned into it.

Holding the kiss for another moment, Alfred then pulled back.

Arthur cleared his throat slightly, then looked up at Alfred. "...So it's your turn now," he murmured.

"Okay. Well..." Alfred closed his eyes and pressed a hand against Arthur's cheek. "I guess I always liked the way you looked - thought you were cute and stuff... But then Gil helped me realize it, that time when we were watching porn..." He paused there and took a deep breath. "Then at the beach it grew... And- And then I worked out for you and stuff..." He chuckled. "I was bein' pretty silly, right?"

Arthur shook his head gently. "No- I mean, that's not silly at all..." Glancing down, Arthur ran his fingers, slightly tentatively, down Alfred's now muscled stomach. "You mean this was for me...?"

The merman shivered at the touch. "W-Well yeah... I mean I wanted to bring back some of it for me too, but I hoped that you'd notice and... And yeah."

Arthur brushed there a little more, then swallowed and turned redder. "W-Well it is a little silly, but of I course I'd notice and I like it," he said quickly.

"You really like it?" Alfred brightened.

Arthur nodded dumbly. "I-I- do, yes."

Alfred took one look at him and promptly burst into tears. "I- I'm so happy that you like me!" he wailed, moving forward and holding him tightly.

"Wha- I- uhm, yes- me too-" Arthur mumbled back, voice a little muffled in the other's embrace.

The happy tears continued to flow for a while. Eventually though, Alfred quieted. "S-Sorry..." he mumbled sheepishly. Arthur probably didn't want to see him so emotional about such a trivial matter.

"N-No don't be." Arthur looked up at Alfred and shifted a little his cheeks already heating up again with his next quiet question. "I mean... Do you really like me that much?

"I do, Artie, I really do." Alfred wiped at his eyes. "Heh, you gotta have somethin' special in you for a mermaid to fall for you."

Arthur pursed his lips for a moment. "...Likewise you."

"How likewise me? I'm just special cuz I got a fish tail."

"Don't be an idiot." Arthur huffed. "I didn't start liking you because you have a tail, there were other things. And besides, I... Fell for you even with the whole - you know - half-fish thing, too." There was the hint of a smirk playing at Arthur's lips.

"Soooo..." Alfred tried to make sense of Arthur's words and facial expression. There was only one conclusion that he came to. "You like me cuz you're curious about my dick?"

"Wha-?" Eyes widening, Arthur spluttered, his face turning beetroot red. "N-No, that's not what I- I didn't mean  _that_!"

Alfred chuckled and gently rubbed his nose against Arthur's cheek. "Then what did you mean?"

"I just- You said- there must be something special for a merman to fall for me and- and so there must be with you too for a human to like you!"

Alfred gave a soft smile. "Yeah, and that should be the fact that I'm a merman. Adds a sense of fantasticality, right?"

"Wh- No-" Arthur huffed and hid his face in Alfred's chest. "Let me compliment you! It won't be happening too often!"

"It won't?" Alfred pouted, but since Arthur's face was against his heart he softly stroked the Brit's hair. "Aww, I was lookin' forward to hearing nice things... What exactly are you complimenting now?" He might as well suck the compliment dry now if he wasn't going to be getting too many.

"I- wh- y-you're an idiot!" Arthur clung a little tighter, leaning up into the touch slightly. "I just- I wanted to say that you were special... A-And I didn't mean because you're a merman!"

Alfred grinned. "So am I an idiot or am I special?"

"You- B-Both!"

"Well how am I special, then?"

"You just are!" Arthur huffed more. "Your laugh and smile and your ridiculously happy nature and charm and- s-shh!"

Alfred cut off his chuckling and tilted Arthur's chin up with two fingers. "I'm glad you think so Artie..."

Arthur was glaring softly at him behind a red face. "You're so harsh; I only just found out I like you and I'm already having to say things like this," he muttered.

"Harsh?" Alfred gave him a massive playful pout. "Well if I'm harsh, then you are too!"

"Wha- how?! You're the one who- who made me act all silly!"

Alfred suddenly smirked and leaned in close. "Well you're the one who always makes me act all silly, so there!"

Arthur's eyes widened slightly. "Wh-What?"

"You make me act silly!" Alfred declared, grinning happily and looking very proud of himself indeed.

"And- how does that make me harsh?!" Arthur added in a huff.

"Because you're the one that makes me act silly and all mushy inside!"

"Wha- I-" Arthur opened and closed his mouth a few times, then satisfied himself with a huff.

"Hmm?" Alfred grinned more and rested his chin on Arthur's chest, looking up at him happily.

"You just aren't fair," Arthur mumbled, looking back down at the other.

Alfred gave him the puppy eyes. "Aren't I?"

Blinking and startling back a little, Arthur's eyes widened further. "Wh- u-uh- no, you aren't...!"

"Heh." The merman relaxed and leaned up to peck Arthur on the lips. "And you're so cute!"

A little surprised by the action, Arthur stumbled over himself before clearing his throat. "I-I- Don't be silly..." He murmured with a huff, glancing at Alfred through his lashes to see what the merman did next.

"Heh, but Artie, you make me silly, remember?" Alfred gave him a brilliant smile.

"You- g-goddamnit..."

Alfred burst out laughing and hugged him. "Whaaaaaat, Artie?"

"...You're an idiot," Arthur mumbled into his shoulder eventually, wrapping his own arms around the other.

"I'm your idiot!" Sighing happily, Alfred snuggled more into him and wriggled so his tail was between Arthur's legs.

Holding Alfred just that little bit tighter, Arthur grumbled a little more and let his legs fit around the merman's tail. "Hmph, you are..." he murmured quietly.

"H-Hey Arthur?" Alfred suddenly raised his head and stared right into Arthur's eyes. He chewed his lip nervously.

Arthur blinked, his face softening a little as he noticed Alfred's tentativeness. "Hm? What is it?"

"Is..." Alfred took a deep breath and lowered his head, looking up at the man from under his eyelashes. "Is it too early to say that I love you?"

It took Arthur a few moments to remember that he did have to breathe, and when he did, he was still staring at Alfred, his face warm and his heart speeding up. "A... Alfred, we only just got together..." The Brit shifted, glancing down for a moment before looking back up at Alfred. "I-I mean, I can't really say it... I only just realized my feelings, so I... I don't know if they extend to that yet, but, um..." Arthur sighed softly here, watching Alfred's face and trying to see it from his point of view. "You've, ah, liked me a little longer, so... And I mean, maybe mermaids have a slightly different take on love, too, so... So if you really think you do feel like that, then, uh, you- you can say it."

"I know we only just got together..." Alfred whispered, looking a lot more hesitant. "But I... I  _know_ , Artie. You're the only one I'd ever want." He was hurt that Arthur brushed off his feelings as 'a slightly different take on love that mermaids had', but he tried not to think too much about it. "I- I just hope you can say it someday too." The merman gave a soft smile.

Smiling slightly back, Arthur gave a tiny nod. "I-I'm sure I will. ...Sorry-" The Brit gave up on that almost immediately and took a deep breath as he reformulated. "...Thank you."

"Yeah, of course." Alfred smiled a bit more and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before resting his head on Arthur's chest. "Would you wanna sleep now? It's been a long day..."

"Ah... I don't mind. We can, if you want," Arthur replied, lifting a hand to Alfred's hair and wondering if the merman could feel his rapid heartbeat. Of course, the thought subsequently only made it beat even faster.

Alfred could indeed hear it, and he smiled to himself as he snuggled both more into Arthur as well as his hand. He knew Arthur definitely liked him, so that was enough for now. "Night, Artie..." he mumbled, then moments later was asleep.

Stroking his hair softly, Arthur watched the other as he drifted off, slowly falling asleep himself. "...Goodnight," he murmured back, pressing a little closer before he eventually nodded off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo and that's that! These dorks are finally together!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're like halfway through guys!

Alfred woke early the next morning, and as he looked up at Arthur, his chest swelled. If Arthur needed baby steps, that's what they would take. Looking upon him there, Alfred realized he didn't care if Arthur didn't say it for a year or longer, as long and they could sleep like this together and share kisses and private smiles. The merman rested his cheek against Arthur's chest again and stared across at the cityscape as he waited for the Brit to stir.

Not long after, Arthur shifted a little in his sleep, his arm tightening a little until he woke up and immediately sleepily wrapped his arms and legs round the merman again.

"Mornin', Artie," Alfred whispered to him, settling into the tighter embrace.

Arthur was about to pull away, surprised by the voice and slightly embarrassed, before he remembered that  _they were together_ , and instead just sighed softly and leaned down to rest his head in the crook of Alfred's neck. "...Morning," he murmured back.

"How did you sleep?" Alfred asked softly.

"Mm... Yes, I slept well," Arthur replied, leaning into him. "You?"

"I slept well too!" Smiling, Alfred nuzzled to him. "Can we text Gilbert?"

"Gilbert?" Arthur frowned slightly. "What for...?"

"To tell him!" Alfred said eagerly. "He kinda got us together."

"I... Well, I suppose so..."

"Really?" Alfred reached over him for his phone. "If you want, I can tell him not to come over..."

"I don't mind." Arthur shrugged, then his eyes flicked up, looking at Alfred from beneath his lashes. "Though I wouldn't mind... Spending the morning together on our own either," he said quietly.

The phone went sailing back to the edge. "Yes let's do that this morning! I wanna spend it together on our own too!"

Arthur smiled gently up at the merman. "All right, then."

"Yeah!" Alfred smiled back and slowly moved in for a kiss. He closed his eyes and stopped his mouth centimeters from Arthur's, allowing the Brit the choice to let it happen or not.

Breath catching for a moment, Arthur then met Alfred's lips there, his hand on the back of the other's neck.

"Mmm..." Alfred pressed more against him, opening his mouth.

Humming softly, Arthur deepened the kiss a little, prompted by Alfred. A moment later he slightly tentatively, as if to test the waters, darted a tongue out to quickly run along Alfred's bottom lip. The merman stiffened but a moment later accepted the actions. His tongue flicked out as well, tentative and clumsy, to touch Arthur's. Arthur let out a small sigh of relief and allowed his tongue to slip further forwards, pressing slightly against Alfred's as the Brit guided him.

The sensation was weird, but Alfred quickly adjusted to it and soon he was pressing back against Arthur's tongue. He pressed even more forward and nipped at the Brit's bottom lip.

A slight moan escaped Arthur's lips at this, and his grip in Alfred's hair tightened a tiny bit, his eyes slipping shut.

Alfred pulled back then, a curious look on his face. "You like that?"

Cheeks tinged with pink, Arthur blinked up at Alfred. "Well- Y-Yes..."

"Really?" The merman kissed him again and immediately bit down on Arthur's lower lip.

"Ah-" Eyes widening slightly, they then slid shut, and Arthur leant into it with a slight hum.

"Heh." Alfred nipped more and then stuck his tongue into Arthur's mouth.

Arthur started slightly at the sudden movement, then frowned softly and pressed his tongue back.

After another few moments, Alfred pulled away. He smiled at Arthur for a little bit, then pressed their foreheads together. "Artie..."

Arthur blinked back up, smiling back a little. "Hm?"

"Hi, Artie..."

"Heh, hello there..."

"Hi!" Alfred smiled more and rubbed his nose against the other's. "Are you okay? Like warm and happy and stuff?"

Chuckling softly, Arthur nodded. "I'm fine..."

"Okay. That's good. ...Are you hungry? Cuz I'll admit, I'm a bit hungry."

"We can have food," Arthur replied, chuckling more.

"Awesome! Will you make it?"

Arthur smiled, pressing his nose back against the other's. "Of course, unless you want to. What do you want?"

Alfred's brow furrowed in concentration. "Um. Um. Can I have French Toast?"

"French toast?" Arthur raised a brow. "Do you mean eggy bread?"

"...What the fuck is eggy bread?"

"Wha- Alfred!" Arthur frowned slightly at Alfred's cursing, still not used to it, then huffed. "It's bread, soaked in egg, then fried..."

"What? Gilbert taught it to me!" Alfred thought about how Arthur described the meal and huffed right back at him. "And you just said how to make French Toast!"

"It's called eggy bread!"

"On the TV they say French Toast!"

Arthur opened and closed his mouth, then huffed again. "W-Well the TV's wrong!"

"But Artie!" Alfred grinned. "It's right about everything else!"

"It is  _not_."

Alfred's smile stretched wider. "Hey Artie. Wanna know what I think?"

"What?" Arthur grumbled.

"I think that you're just being stubbornly British."

"Wha- I am not! It's simply called eggy bread!"

"You are! And eggy bread sounds like something you'd tell a kid to make them eat it! What, are you afraid of saying 'French'?"

"Ugh..." Arthur shuddered slightly. "No, as much as I hate the French, I just want to call it by its proper name."

"Which is French Toast."

"No! It- Ah, do you want it or not?!"

"Yes. I'd like some French Toast, please!" Alfred said sweetly.

Arthur huffed but sat up. "Well I'll only make it if you call it eggy bread."

"Then I'll just starve and then die and you'll be all alone except for Gilbert!"

"Oh - this is getting ridiculous - all right, all right, I'll go. And don't joke about thing like that."

Alfred's face changed immediately and he cupped Arthur's cheeks. "I'm sorry Arthur! I won't joke about it anymore, I promise!"

Arthur blinked in surprise. "A-Ah... That's okay..."

"Okay." Alfred relaxed and gave him a brief kiss before leaning back and helping him off the mattress. "How long will it take you?"

"Mmh... Only a few minutes."

"Okay. Go make your...eggy bread, yeah?" The merman gave him a small smile.

"Okay. I'll be back soon," Arthur replied, before turning and heading off to make it.

True to his word, only ten minutes later, Arthur came strolling back in with a plate. He knelt down to hand it to the merman, giving him a quick peck before he handed the plate over.

"Ah!" Alfred was pleasantly surprised at the kiss, and he accepted the plate with a smile.

Smiling a little himself, Arthur pulled his own plate toward him and started eating.

"They're good, Artie!" Alfred told him, finished with his portion in less than five minutes.

"Ah, thank you," Arthur replied with a small smile, still only halfway done.

Smacking his lips softly, Alfred shuffled over to him. "So. So Artie..." he purred, eyes on the food.

"Hm?" Arthur asked, raising a brow suspiciously.

"So heeeey there Artie. That's some pretty good food, right?"

"...Yes, it is," Arthur replied, his lips threatening to break into a small smile.

Alfred gave a hopeful little wriggle. "And... And you'll be a nice boyfriend and let you poor starving boyfriend have some of the nice food?"

"Oh, have it," Arthur muttered, pushing the plate closer to the other while rolling his eyes, though there was a small grin plastered on his face.

"Thank you, Artie!" Alfred leaned over and gave him a sloppy kiss before finishing off the French Toast.

"Oh, shut it," Arthur said with a soft laugh.

"Nope! I got food!"

Arthur just shook his head in amusement. "As long as you have food you'll be happy, won't you?"

"As long as I got food and you!"

Arthur blinked. "O-Oh?"

"Yeah! Two things that make me really happy!"

Blushing a little, Arthur glanced down. "I- ah- th-thank you..."

"Heh, you're so cute." Alfred cuddled right up to him, an arm going around the Brit's shoulders.

"What? How?" Arthur replied with a huff, leaning into the other.

"You are! All blushing and shy and stuff!"

"Oi- I am not!" Arthur grumbled back, though his face said otherwise.

Alfred just chuckled and shifted Arthur gently onto his lap. His arms circled Arthur's waist, and he held him close. "If you say so..."

"Hmph. I do," the Brit replied, his forehead resting against the other's.

Alfred's breath froze as he stared into Arthur's eyes. "Artie..."

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head a little, letting his arms rest on the merman's shoulders.

"Artie, you... You just take my breath away," Alfred mumbled, forced to drop his gaze. He knew he was being sappy, but he really couldn't help it.

Arthur blinked, his eyes widening a little as a gentle flush came across his face. "A-Alfred, you sap," he murmured, though he was smiling softly.

"I know!" Alfred shrugged helplessly. "It just comes out!"

Arthur chuckled slightly, glancing down shyly. "Well I-I don't really mind."

"Really? Then I don't mind saying it all!"

Chuckling a little more, Arthur smiled back up at the merman.

And Alfred leaned down to kiss him.

Surprised at the kiss, Arthur's eyes widened a little, but then he relaxed and leant into it.

"I still can't believe I can do that..." Alfred mumbled once he'd pulled away.

"Heh, me neither," Arthur replied quietly, trying (and failing) to suppress a smile.

"Heh, Artie, you're smiling an awful lot."

"Wh- Is that wrong? I'm happy."

"No, of course it's not wrong!"

Arthur huffed softly. "Good."

Alfred leaned more against him. "So whatcha wanna do now?"

"Mm, I don't mind... Is there anything you want to do? I don't think I'll be going to work today."

"You won't be? That's awesome!" Alfred grinned. "Well, could you give me a massage?"

"A massage?" Arthur's brows rose, then he grinned. "Well I suppose I do owe you after all the ones you've given me."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Go on, lay down, then."

Alfred instantly flopped over onto his stomach on the ground.

Quickly settling behind him, Arthur placed his hands on the merman's back. "Shall I?"

"Ooh, yeah, go ahead!"

Arthur smiled lightly at this, then carefully started kneading Alfred's back.

Almost immediately, Alfred started letting out little mewls and groans of pleasure. "Oh- Oh yeah- that's the spot Artie-"

A brow came up, amused, and Arthur gave a small chortle. "Is it now?" he asked quietly, his hands working their way up Alfred's back and sides.

" _Yeah_!" Alfred gradually made his moans more and more sexual, trying to see if Arthur would react.

Over the course of the next minute or so, Arthur's face slowly flushed, his whole head filling with heat, before it eventually got too much and he clenched his teeth.

Well.

Two could play at this game.

Hands finding their way to Alfred's shoulders, Arthur leant down so his mouth was beside the other's ear. "How's this?" he murmured, gently rubbing at the crook of Alfred's shoulders.

Oh Lord. "I- It's perfect-" Alfred cut off with another moan.

"Ever so tense..." Arthur slid his hands down, across Alfred's neck and sweeping down his back, lightly pressing his fingers as he did so. "How about here?"

"Hngg-" Alfred arched into him. "Oh, Artie!"

Arthur smirked slightly at this, rubbing circles into Alfred's hips. "That good, hm?" he asked quietly, chuckling a little before pressing a quick kiss to the side of Alfred's head and sitting back up.

"You know it is! You meanie!" The merman let out another soft cry at the kiss.

"Heh, well it can't be helped, you did it to me first-" Arthur only managed to catch himself at the end, and he bit his lip as if that'd stop the slip up he'd already made.

Alfred however, easily picked up on that and flipped onto his back. "Oh?" he asked, his smile predatory. "What did I do to you first?"

"Wh- Nothing!" Arthur said quickly, starting to turn red again.

"No, no, tell me!" Alfred moved his face closer to Arthur.

"N-No, I just meant- with the massage-"

"Well what are you trying to do?"

"I- n-nothing!"

Alfred didn't look convinced. "If you're sure..." He flipped back around and presented his back to Arthur again.

"Y-Yes," Arthur mumbled, setting his hands to work on the other's back again.

"Mmm..." The merman hummed appreciatively.

A few minutes later the Brit was done, and he sat back. "Was that all right?" he asked.

"It was perfect, Artie!" Alfred looked at him, grinning. Then he shifted so his head was in Arthur's lap and sighed contently.

"Ah, good." Arthur smiled slightly back, then gently ran his fingers through the other's hair.

"Artie..." Alfred purred, leaning into the touch. "Tell me a story about your life, anything, and then I'll tell you about mine!"

"A-Anything?" Arthur shifted a little, trying to think. "Um... How about how I met Gilbert?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "I do wanna hear that story. I mean, Gil and you? Tell it!"

"Heh, it's not that interesting..." Arthur said with a small shrug. "We met in a bar. It must have been a few years ago now... Anyway, I was just there at the bar minding my own business, and he takes the stool next to me. And we both ended up ordering the same beer, so we started talking. We found out that the other was gay pretty quickly too, and it turned into something that was almost flirting, but with more insults in it. Well, I thought it was like that but I think that it's really just how Gilbert is. Anyway, it was a pretty fun night, we both got utterly smashed, and then decided we should go home. At first we laughed about how we were going the same way even after saying goodbye, but I guess in our drunken states we both got a bit suspicious of each other and it became kind of a competition. Then when we walked down the same road, stopped outside the same building, even got inside the same lift - well, it was obvious the man was following me. Probably thought we could have a quick shag, what with all the almost flirting other. And we started arguing loudly in the lift about who followed the other him - only for it to stop at his floor where his husband - Matthew, of course - was waiting. And of course I embarrassingly wailed to him that his husband was trying to follow me home for a shag, still not getting it. Christ, I must've looked like an idiot. Of course, I went and apologized the next day."

Alfred was snickering by the end of it. "Oh my God Artie-" He actually rolled off Arthur's lap and into the pool in his mirth.

"Wh-What?" Arthur huffed, frowning a little.

"That was so great!" The merman hauled himself out again once he'd regained control over his body. "What did Matthew say the next day?"

"He seemed strangely used to it..." Arthur admitted. "He just told me it was all right and it was good to meet me. Apparently they were going to introduce themselves as my new neighbors that day anyway, so it worked out in the end."

"...You know, that seems like a really fitting way of how you met a guy like Gil," Alfred commented, snuggling right up against Arthur again.

"Mm, it does?" Arthur asked, glancing down at the other.

"Yeah, it does!" Alfred gave him a grin.

Arthur chuckled slightly. "I suppose that's true... So, what about you?"

"Ah, what do you wanna know? Anything specific? Or just general?"

"Just anything, really," Arthur replied with a small smile.

"...Would you like to know how I got captured?" Alfred's voice was quiet.

Arthur blinked, inspecting the other for a moment. "...If you want to tell me, then yes."

"If you wanna know, I'll tell you."

Arthur hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay." Alfred took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the Brit. "It was my fault- I'd been stupid. I always liked to go up to ships and boats cuz I was curious about them and about humans in general. I'd always be really careful, especially at first, but I think that after a few years of it I started getting a bit careless? I'd still be a tiny bit careful, I wasn't completely stupid, but I guess someone saw me. Then they called up the black market hunters who I guess spied on me and then set a trap and lay in wait." The merman's eyes closed and he shook softly. "They took me at night. I was sleeping a-and-" He cut off with a shudder.

Eyes widening a little, Arthur blinked and hugged Alfred tightly, stroking his hair soothingly. "It's okay," he said, voice quiet. "You don't have to say anymore."

"N-No, I want to," Alfred told him determinedly, clinging tightly to Arthur.

"...All right. Then I'm right here," Arthur replied, giving Alfred a gentle squeeze and then quickly kissing the side of his head.

Alfred's chest warmed and he leaned into him. "Thank you, Artie..." he whispered.

"Of course," Arthur said with a smile, stroking the merman's hair. "So what happened, hm?"

Alfred focused on the stroking and let it calm his mind from the dredged up images. He continued when he felt that he'd gotten a sufficient grip on himself again. "I couldn't see them at first, since it was so dark. But then I started swimming and there was suddenly a net over me and I couldn't escape or even move. I... I was sure I was gonna die that night. But I didn't. They tied me up and put me in a t-tiny tank and shipped off into a dark space where I got fed once every few days. It was horrible and dark and cold and I was so hungry..." He shuddered again, and gave Arthur a fierce squeeze.

"Ah-" Sighing softly, Arthur continued his movements, giving the other a small squeezes back. "And then it was the... Auction? I'm so sorry, Alfred..."

"Not quite. They displayed me for like two more days before to get people riled up about the new and rare item up for grabs." Alfred looked at him with mournful eyes. "It was so horrible, Artie. For someone so used to hiding and staying stealthy and out of sight, to be put on the spot like that... There must've been hundreds of people who gawked at me before they finally started that...auction thing."

"Oh Alfred... I'm so, so sorry," Arthur said quietly with a saddened sigh.

"I know... Thanks, Artie." Alfred shuffled closer to him. "...Could I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"A-And you gotta promise to answer truthfully, kay?"

Arthur frowned slightly. "Y-Yes, I will..."

Alfred stared straight at him. "How much did you buy me for?"

Arthur blinked, shifting a little as he hesitated, but then decided that no, he did not regret this, so he had no reason to be embarrassed by it. So, looking up again, Arthur met Alfred's eyes. "Five million three thousand."

The merman's eyes widened slightly. "That's a lot, isn't it...?"

"Well, I suppose it's rather a lot, yes," Arthur replied with a shrug. "But... I have the money to spare, so it may as well have been used for something good," he mumbled.

Alfred suddenly chuckled softly. "Heh, so I'm like your five million dollar boyfriend, right?"

Eyebrows rising in surprise, Arthur then let out a small snort of laughter and covered his nose with the back of his hand. "I guess you are..."

Happy that he was able to make Arthur laugh, Alfred leaned forward and peppered the Brit's cheeks with little kisses. "I am!"

Chuckling more warmly, Arthur grinned and leant into it. "Yes, yes, indeed."

"Thank you," Alfred whispered to him in between kisses. "Thank you so much, Artie."

"Hey, you don't need to thank me for anything," Arthur said warmly.

"I do." Alfred paused in his motions and turned to face the human. "You saved me."

"Alfred... You don't need to thank me for that." Arthur's smile turned fond. "You've already paid me back for it just by being here."

Alfred's face flushed pleasantly at that smile, and he raised a hand to trace it. "I- I did?"

"Yes," Arthur murmured back, breath stuttering a little.

"Okay, Artie." Alfred smiled and kissed him. "M'glad," he mumbled into it.

Blinking in surprise, Arthur then leaned into it, still smiling himself.

Alfred broke the kiss soon and sighed. "Sorry for the sad story, Artie..."

"It's fine," Arthur replied, stroking Alfred's cheek. "...I promise you, I'll make up for every part of it."

"I believe you, Artie."

"Heh, you'd better," Arthur said with a small grin. And this time, it was the Brit's turn to take the initiative and kiss the other.

"Ah!" Alfred eagerly leaned into it, his hand moving to tangle in Arthur's hair.

Arthur closed his eyes, his lips moving softly against Alfred's as he gently kissed the merman. He pressed closer, still unable to believe that he was actually in a relationship with the guy he liked, that he could do this, and he was definitely lost in that world.

Other hand circling strongly around Arthur's waist, Alfred was lost in his own bliss. There would be no more need for hiding for him, and he would have company, glorious company, for the rest of his life. It was more than he ever could have wished for, and he wouldn't give it up for anything. His mouth fit perfectly over Arthur's, and the man tasted sweeter than any prey Alfred had ever caught.

Eventually, Arthur reluctantly pulled away a little, his eyes staying shut as he let the feel of their mingled breaths wash against his cheek.

Alfred's were open and he watched Arthur with a small smile on his face. "You happy there?"

Letting out a content sigh, Arthur smiled lightly himself. "Very happy..." he murmured, still heady from the kiss.

"I'm glad." Alfred touched his shoulder briefly and then lay down on his back, presenting his body to the Brit. "Hey, now that we're together, wanna explore my body again?" He suddenly grinned, remembering the close call last time. "And now you can touch everywhere."

Arthur blinked, looking at the merman with raised eyebrows, and he chuckled slightly. "Well, since you've offered so nicely, I can't turn you down," he said, leaning closer to the other.

"Perfect." Alfred closed his eyes and bared his chest.

Straddling him, Arthur ran his hands down that glorious chest, letting his fingers ghost over the muscles of Alfred's stomach and down over his tail, before pausing where they had before - at a small slit in Alfred's scales. He looked back up at Alfred. "So this is...?"

"My dick!" Alfred replied cheerfully, leaning into the touches.

Arthur blinked, then before he could stop himself, gave a small laugh.

"What?" Alfred couldn't stop a small smile of his own.

Quickly leaning down and pressing a kiss to Alfred's chest, Arthur then looked up at him with a slight grin "Just... You, saying that so bluntly and... And cheerfully," he said, chuckling some more.

"Ah!" Smiling even more at the kiss, Alfred nodded. "Well why hide it? Hey, you wanna see it?"

"Heh, maybe later," Arthur replied with a smile, continuing to run his hands over Alfred's tail.

"Ah, okay!" Alfred leaned into the touches. "Mmm, Artie... How much do you like my tail, exactly?"

"Exactly?" Arthur raised a brow, smiling as he left a small kiss on the blue scales. "Well, I think it's beautiful."

Breath catching, Alfred watched him with wide eyes. "R-Really? You really think so?"

"Of course I do," Arthur replied softly, slowly stroking Alfred's tail.

"B-But you also see me more than that, right?" Alfred was slightly nervous asking this, but he had to know.

"More than...? What, your tail?" Arthur frowned slightly, sitting up and moving up to cup Alfred's cheek looking at him seriously. "Why- How couldn't I? Alfred, I don't like you because you have a pretty blue tail - that  _adds_  to who you are, it doesn't define you. So why on Earth would I see just your tail when you have so much else to look at?"

Alfred's eyelids fluttered and he averted his gaze, his throat closing up with emotion. "R-Really?" he choked out.

"Yes, really."

"Oh Arthur!" Alfred rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders, holding him close.

"Ah-" Surprised at first, Arthur then hugged the other back gently. "Hm?"

"Thank you Arthur-" Alfred whispered to him, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you so much."

"Hm? What for?" Arthur blinked.

"For seein' me as more..."

"Wh- That's not something you have to thank me for," Arthur mumbled softly.

"I just feel like it is! Let me thank you!" Alfred huffed and nuzzled fiercely against Arthur's neck.

"Heh, all right, if you must."

"I must!" Alfred declared happily. After another moment though, he pulled back and grasped Arthur's shoulders. "So can I feel you up now?"

"Feel me-?!" Spluttering slightly, Arthur then cleared his throat. "I-I suppose since I did, then yes, you can..."

"Awesome!" The merman flipped them and slipped between Arthur's legs, his hands on the Brit's shoulders.

Gasping slightly at the sudden movement, Arthur looked up at Alfred with slightly widened eyes.

"Artie..." Alfred rubbed his fingertips into Arthur's skin, a small smile on his face.

"Hm?" Arthur murmured back.

"Hello. Hello Artie!" Leaning down, Alfred gently rubbed his nose across Arthur's cheek.

"Ah... I've been here the whole time, you know," the Brit said with a small chuckle.

"I know you have." The merman pouted. "But still hello!"

"Heh, yes, hello..."

"So can I explore you now?" Alfred brought their foreheads together and stared into Arthur's eyes.

"O-Of course," Arthur mumbled, breath catching a little and unable to break his gaze.

Alfred smiled gently, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Okay." He leaned forward and gave Arthur a little peck on the mouth before pulling away and placing his palms flat on the other's chest.

Finally feeling that he could just about breathe, Arthur did so, letting out a shivered breath as his heart sped up a little under Alfred's hand.

Noticing this, Alfred smiled more. He decided not to comment though, and spare Arthur some embarrassment, so he simply continued trailing his fingers across Arthur's skin. He marveled at Arthur's delicate muscles, barely there but still well-defined and powerful. Then he bent and pressed a gentle kiss over Arthur's heart.

It almost stopped at that, and Arthur barely dared to move lest he interrupt the motions. God, this merman was out to kill him.

"Heh..." Alfred kissed all over Arthur's chest, each one deliberate and just the barest whisper of skin to skin contact.

Shivering slightly at the touches, Arthur watched the other with eyelids threatening to droop.

Alfred's eyes flicked up to meet Arthur's gaze for a moment, and he grinned. "Comfy there, Artie?" he whispered, then rubbed his hands all up and down Arthur's sides.

Arthur sighed, his eyes finally slipping shut, and let out a hum of assent.

Chuckling softly, Alfred continued moving his exploration down to Arthur's waist. He traced the line of his hipbones and brushed against the Brit's treasure trail. The feeling of the soft hair against his fingers made him smile more.

"Nn..." Arthur's breath caught and he frowned very slightly. Alfred was awfully close - but he was meant to be exploring his body, and they were in a relationship anyway, so he let it be.

Eyes flicking up again at that, Alfred moved away from the area. He continued with his hands down Arthur's thighs and shins and turned his curious fingers onto Arthur's toes. He was still fascinated by them, even though he had long since gotten used to seeing them. His fingers moved between the little appendages, looking at Arthur's face for his reaction.

Eyes opening and widening in surprise, a tiny, shocked chuckle escaped before Arthur tried to twitch away.

"Oh?" Alfred's eyes narrowed and he let go of one of Arthur's legs so he could grip the ankle of the left one. Then, with his other hand, he gently ran his fingers up and down the sole.

"Ah- A-Alfred...!" Body tensing up in resilience, Arthur couldn't help a few laughs making their way out of his mouth.

"Hmm?" Alfred asked playfully, increasing the magnitude of his little assault on Arthur's foot.

"Oh God-" Arthur finally broke, laughing as his foot tried to pull away. "Haha- Al- Fred, no-"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The merman giggled madly himself, not letting him get away.

"No! P-Please, Alfred- Pfffahaha- s-stoppit-!"

"Then kiss me!"

"W-What?!" Arthur replied between laughs.

"You gotta promise to kiss me for me to stop!"

"I- y-you think I'll surrender like that?!"

"Of course you will!" Alfred told him confidently, then as an incentive tickled him more fiercely for a moment.

"Ah- ah-" Another laugh burst from Arthur, and he tried to pull away. "Fine-!"

Alfred immediately lowered Arthur's leg to the ground and moved over him, his hands on either side of the other blond's head. "Well then?" he whispered, leaning down so they were just barely not touching.

Arthur took a small breath of surprise, then gently leaned up and pressed his lips to Alfred's.

The merman kissed back eagerly, his mouth moving with Arthur's in perfect harmony. His body lowered as well, so their chests were brushing together. He broke it after a few seconds and leaned back, grinning brightly at Arthur. "You have fulfilled my demands! I won't tickle you any more for now!" he announced, looking proud of himself.

"Mm, you better not," Arthur replied in a murmur, raising a brow at the other.

"Or you'll do what?" Alfred reached out and softly brushed the hair from Arthur's forehead.

Closing his eyes, Arthur leant into it. "You probably don't want to find out."

"Oh? Don't I?" Seeing a chance, Alfred leaned down and kissed his eyelids.

"Ah- N-No..."

"Eheh. Hey Arthur?"

"Hm?" Arthur asked, eyes fluttering open again as he tilted his head.

Alfred placed a hand on Arthur's chest again. "Could I continue touching you?"

Arthur blinked. "Ah... Of course."

"Okay..." Sitting up again, Alfred placed his hands on Arthur's torso, curling them around Arthur's sides to grasp gently at his butt.

A small hum escaped from Arthur, and he shifted slightly, but decided to let it happen.

"Is this okay?" Alfred asked, his hands freezing where they were. He'd felt the shifting and looked worriedly towards Arthur's face.

"It's fine," Arthur murmured with a small nod, looking up at Alfred.

"Okay." Smiling softly, Alfred went back to gently massaging Arthur's butt, trying to get a complete feel for it. He didn't really have a defined one, so feeling this was strange and exciting.

And it was a little strange for Arthur too, in perhaps a slightly different way. He couldn't deny it though - it felt nice. His let his eyes fall shut again, leaning into it slightly as a sigh fell from his mouth.

After another few moments of that, Alfred moved his explorations back to the front of Arthur's underwear. "And this is where your cock is, right?" He knew, of course, he'd seen plenty of them in the porn, but he still wanted to ask.

"Ah- y-yes..." Arthur mumbled back, flushing ever so slightly.

"Heh." Alfred stroked it softly through the fabric and then moved his hand away. His hands moved once more to Arthur's thighs, this time stroking the skin with more intensity.

Letting out a small gasp, Arthur shuddered slightly at the feeling.

"You like that, Artie?" Alfred's voice was quiet.

"Mm... I-I do, yes..." Arthur breathed.

"That's good." But Alfred only moved lower, to lightly massage Arthur's knees and shins. Arthur hadn't seemed that eager about anything sexual now, so Alfred didn't want to turn him on or anything.

Humming softly at this, Arthur leaned into it a little.

Alfred smiled at him, then removed his hands and curled up next to the man, wrapping his arms around Arthur's shoulders and pulling him close.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, surprised, then gladly snuggled in. "So you're done then?"

"Well there's other things, but they're covered," Alfred told him with a wink. "So we'll continue some other time!"

"Wha-" After a moment, Arthur comprehended, and he turned a violent shade of red, his brows rising. "I-I- we will?"

"Well... You do wanna do it with me right? At some point?" Alfred's face turned hesitant. "M-Maybe one day?"

"W- Of- Of course..." Arthur answered quietly.

The merman smiled softly. "Okay. Then we'll continue then!"

"Ah... All right," Arthur murmured, nodding shyly.

"Heh, you're so cute! For now let's cuddle and watch TV like we did before we were together? Except now with extra cuddles!"

Arthur smiled a little at this. "Okay," he replied. "Is there anything you want to watch?"

"Um. Um. The Hobbit!" Alfred tilted his head, waiting for Arthur's verdict.

"All right," Arthur said with a nod and a smile.

"Put it in, then!" Alfred said, wriggling.

Chuckling slightly, Arthur pulled himself from Alfred's arms to start the DVD, then quickly headed back to the mattress, where Alfred's arms were open and waiting for him. Settling himself into them, Arthur smiled gently up at him.

"Hi there." Closing the distance between them, Alfred leaned down to kiss him.

Smiling more into it, Arthur closed his eyes, savoring the feeling.

"Heeeeey, Artie," Alfred crooned once he'd pulled back.

"Heheh, what is it, love?" Arthur murmured.

"Just hi there!" Alfred grinned broadly at him.

"Heh, well hello," Arthur said with a chuckle.

"Hi!" The merman nuzzled to him.

Laughing mirthfully, Arthur grinned a little, leaning into it.

"Artie, Artie!" Alfred only nuzzled to him more.

"Hm? What is it?" Arthur asked with another chuckle, tilting his head at the other.

"Well you like it so much so I'm doing it more!" Alfred explained.

Arthur blinked then chuckled, holding Alfred closer. "You silly thing..." he murmured.

"You like it, though!" The merman wriggled, extremely proud of himself.

"Of course I do... Now come on, let's watch this film."

"Yes, yes!" Alfred eagerly settled down with Arthur practically in his lap and the both of them facing the screen.

Still getting used to these cute couple-y things between him and Alfred now, Arthur smiled a little, settling in and even leaning back into Alfred a little to watch the film. Purring at the feeling of Arthur moving closer, Alfred leaned his cheek against Arthur's hair as the movie started. Arthur only smiled more at this, the small grin not leaving even as he focused on the television in front.

Alfred's eyes were riveted to the movie for the duration that it played. Then, when it was over, he buried his face in Arthur's neck and let out a loud wail.

"Hm?" Arthur raised his brows, then lifted his hand to gently ruffle Alfred's hair.

"Bilbo!" The merman cried, clinging to Arthur even more.

"I know, I know," Arthur murmured soothingly, chuckling softly and pretending he hadn't reacted the same way when first watching it, half drunk with Gilbert (who had been forced to come) at the cinema.

"But- But Bilbo!" Alfred burrowed his way onto Arthur's lap, his hands scrabbling at the Brit's shirt for something to hold onto.

"There, there, I know... It's all right," Arthur murmured gently, stroking the merman's hair.

Sniffling, Alfred leaned into it. "I-I know. It's still emotional!"

"Heh, it's fine," Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"Artieeee!" Alfred cupped Arthur's cheeks and stared at him for a moment before kissing him fiercely.

Eyes widening in surprise, Arthur blinked a couple of times, before then relaxing into it and kissing back.

Alfred kissed him for a long time, finally breaking away when his lungs were screaming out for air. Then he brought their foreheads together and they panted in unison, their breaths mingling. "Artie..." he whispered, smiling at the other.

After swallowing a little, Arthur smile gently back. "What- What was that for, hm?" He breathed.

"That was cuz I wanted to kiss you!" Alfred said proudly.

"Ah- Of course it was," Arthur said with a small chuckle, wrapping his arms around the merman's neck and leaning in for another gentle kiss.

"Oh!" Said merman eagerly leaned forward to meet his lips, smiling into it as his tongue flicked out to taste Arthur's lower lip.

Arthur let out a tiny gasp at this, his own tongue darting out to very lightly probe at the movement. Eagerness rising at the small challenge, Alfred's tongue gently forced Arthur's lips open and moved into his mouth. He happily ran it over the Brit's teeth and the insides of his cheeks. Arthur just let it happen for a moment, in a strange sort of mix of shock (but not really) and euphoria. Once he'd simply enjoyed the feeling for a few seconds, he began to gently push his own tongue back.

Alfred felt the light pushes and retreated, wanting to feel Arthur's tongue poking around his own mouth. As he moved back, his tongue flicked gently against Arthur's, enticing it to follow. Taken in by the offer, Arthur pushed further, his tongue slipping into Alfred's to explore, and he lifted himself closer to the merman. Arms swiftly wrapping around Arthur's body and holding him in place, Alfred opened his mouth wider so Arthur would have easier access. His eyes closed and his head tilted back at it and needy little erotic whines slipped from the back of his throat.

Tongue quickly mapping out the other's mouth, Arthur went to prod at Alfred's tongue, after deciding he enjoyed the noises. And those noises increased as Alfred's tongue pressed back. The merman shifted Arthur even closer and hitched the Brit's legs around his tail. Arthur let out a small moan of his own at this, pressing closer and tightening his grip on the other.

"Arthur-" Alfred managed to get out through their kiss, the name more like a groaning pant for breath. "Artie, Arthur..."

Pulling away just enough to respond, Arthur hummed a little in question between panted breaths. "Hm...?"

"Hi, Arthur..." Alfred smiled at him, eyes bright and shining with love.

Arthur blinked, his head clearing a little as he smiled softly back. "Hello," he quietly responded, then suddenly started giggling childishly. Though of course, he would deny such an action.

"Hmm?" Alfred tilted his head, a little bemused but nonetheless happy.

"N-No, don't misunderstand!" Arthur cried, grinning sheepishly. "It's just- I mean- It-It feels nice. Being able to- um." He blushed as he tried to put it into words - this naughty, cheeky, youthful glee.

"Being able to...?" Alfred blinked.

"Well, you know, being able to- to kiss you like that," Arthur mumbled.

"It feels nice to be able to kiss you like that too." Alfred whispered back.

Arthur chuckled slightly, giving a shy smile. "Well, I'm glad."

"I'm glad too!" Alfred declared, pressing their foreheads together.

"Ah... Yes," Arthur replied with a smile, looking up into Alfred's blue-as-the-ocean eyes.

Lost in Arthur's own forest eyes, Alfred only pulled away when his stomach gave a rumble. The merman yanked himself away, looking sheepish, and chuckled. "So uhh, food now?"

"Ah, of course," Arthur replied, grinning in amusement himself. "What do you want?"

"Whatever you make, Artie!" Alfred told him happily.

"Heh, all right. I'll see you in a moment, then?"

But Alfred only held him tighter. "No! Don't leave!"

Arthur blinked, then chuckled slightly. "I thought you wanted food."

"But I don't want you to move!"

"Well then how do you expect me to make food?" Arthur replied with a soft laugh and a grin.

"...In your mind!"

Arthur stared at the other for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "You know I can't do that, right?"

"I know..." Alfred's mouth stretched down into a pout and he reluctantly let go of the man. "Fine, go then..."

"Hey, now, don't be like that," Arthur cooed. "You know, it's really your choice, hm? If you're that desperate to stay with me, you could always come too," he added on jokingly.

Alfred's eyes widened. "R-Really? I can see the rest of your house?" The merman looked excited at the prospect.

Arthur raised his brows in surprise, but then smiled softly and ruffled Alfred's hair. "Of course, if you want. You're always welcome to."

"But how? I can't walk..." Alfred's face fell softly.

"Well we can use the wheelchair, then. I broke my leg a couple of years ago and kept it all this time, so it should be fine for transporting you again."

"Ah, yeah!" Alfred's eyes sparkled and he wriggled in the water. "Bring it in!"

"All right," Arthur replied with a smile, quickly fetching the chair.

"Don't forget a wet towel for me!" Alfred hauled himself out, rolling onto the floor and grinning up at Arthur.

"Yes, yes," Arthur chuckled, picking up the towel he brought and wetting it in the pool. "Come on, then," he said, holding out a hand to the merman.

Alfred gladly took it, looking up at Arthur with endless trust in his eyes.

Smile growing, Arthur hooked an arm around the other's waist, getting him up to help him get in the chair.

Within a few moments Alfred had been successfully transferred and he grinned up at Arthur. "Hi there!" In the next moment, he had pulled Arthur down onto his lap by the waist.

"Ah-" Arthur chuckled and loosely wrapped his arms around Alfred's shoulder. "Heh, hello."

"Hi!" The merman looked incredibly proud of himself and leaned forward to peck Arthur's cheek.

Smiling warmly at this, Arthur leaned into it. "So let's go, then?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Alfred withdrew his arms and patted Arthur's shoulders. "Are you gonna push me?"

"Yeah, unless you want to do it yourself?"

"No! Push me, that's cuter!"

"Heh, okay," Arthur replied, getting off Alfred's lap to push the wheelchair. "Seeing as we're set up, did you want to see the rest of the house too? We can eat first, still, if you want."

"Yeah, I'd love to see it!" The merman tilted his head back so he could look at the human. He smiled brightly, at the same time tucking the tip of his tail in so it wouldn't get run over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great things will come from this development...


	16. Chapter 16

And with a nod and a soft smile back, they were off. True to his word, Arthur took them through the hall to the kitchen first, to make some food.

"Are you sure there's nothing in particular you want?" The Brit asked as he looked through the cupboards.

Alfred was looking around him in awe, taking in all the sights. "Just not fish!" He had developed a slight dislike for them now that he knew there was so much other variety. "Your house is so pretty, Artie!"

"Heh, you haven't even seen all of it," Arthur replied with a small smile, inspecting a few packets from the cupboard before deciding on pasta (nice and easy), and put it on to boil.

"But even this is so pretty!"

Smiling happily to himself, Arthur hummed softly, then spun to lean on the counter so he faced the merman. "Well... Thank you. I'm glad you think so - it's your house too, after all."

Alfred's eyes widened and his breath caught. "It... It is?"

"Alfred..." Arthur tilted his head, then let out a gentle sigh. "You live here. This is your home, even if you haven't seen every room yet. Did you really think it wasn't?"

"No, I didn't. I just didn't think about it like it  _was_ ," Alfred quickly explained, rolling himself closer to the Brit.

Chuckling slightly, Arthur took his hand and pulled him even closer. "Well it is."

"Well I'm glad." There was yet another warm smile on Alfred's face.

"Of course," Arthur murmured gladly, lifting a hand to gently caress Alfred's cheek. "Now, there's about ten minutes before the food's ready, so do you want to quickly look round now, or wait until after we've eaten?"

The merman leaned into it, smiling. "Show me the kitchen more! On TV they say not to leave when something is burning."

"It- It won't burn," Arthur defended with a huff, but nevertheless agreed. "All right, then."

"Heh." Alfred enjoyed the mini tour Arthur gave him, fascinated by all the cooking implements. In the end the pasta burned a tiny bit, but the merman didn't point it out. Arthur had pulled away one of the chairs by the dining table and with a little help Alfred rolled into place, eager to be eating like a human. He looked at Arthur, who had settled next to him. "This... This is really nice, Artie," he murmured.

"Hm?" Glancing up at the other, Arthur tilted his head and smiled a little. "Ah... I think so too," he admitted quietly.

"I never... Never thought I could do something like this." Alfred looked around at the elegant dining room before once more smiling at his boyfriend.

And Arthur couldn't help but smile back, reaching a hand over to gently squeeze Alfred's. "...I really enjoy this house," he said after a moment. "But, sometimes I feel like it is a little  _too_  extravagant for just me. So... It's nice to finally have somebody to share it with."

"Well I'm glad I could be the one to share it with you." Alfred gave his hand a squeeze back. "And I'll eat anyone that flirts with you!" he added playfully, snapping his teeth.

Arthur laughed a little at this, shaking his head. "Well then, I'd better not let anybody flirt with me, hm?"

"Nope!" Alfred's face was serious.

Chuckling a little more fondly, Arthur squeezed the merman's hand again. "I won't, don't worry."

Immediately Alfred smiled. "Good! Cuz you're mine, Kirkland!"

"Heh, yes, and properly this time." Arthur suddenly leaned forwards and pecked Alfred, murmuring against his lips afterwards. "All yours..."

"Oh you were always properly mine," Alfred mumbled back, smiling and closing his eyes and pressing forward into another kiss. "I wouldn't have let you be with anyone else," he said afterwards. "Except Gil and Mattie and Fritz, but they're practically family."

"Mm... My, my, how possessive of you," Arthur chuckled as he moved back to his seat.

Alfred's grin stretched. "We merpeople are real possessive of lovers and prey."

Raising a brow, Arthur looked back over. "I'd better fall under the 'lovers' category," he said.

"Maybe you do. Maybe you don't."

"Wha- What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just kidding, Artie!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand. "Of course you're a lover!"

"Wh-I- I know that!"

"Okay. That's good." Alfred leaned back, relief on his features, and finished up his cooling pasta.

Chuckling softly at this, Arthur got back to his own food, then leaned back in his chair.

"So. So you'll give me that tour then?" Alfred looked at him when he was finished, bouncing about in his seat a bit from excitement.

"Heh, yes, yes," Arthur replied, standing and heading behind the wheelchair.

"Yes! Take me to your bedroom first!"

"To my bedroom? Well, all right," Arthur replied, raising a brow and pushing off.

"Yeah! I bet your bed is super comfy! It's super comfy, right?" Alfred wriggled even more, staring around himself in fascination once more.

"Heh, I suppose it is, yes." Smiling softly in amusement, Arthur arrived at the bedroom and wheeled Alfred in.

"Whoa!" Alfred's eyes widened. "It's so big!"

The floor was a cream carpet that was probably very plush, and then there was a green accent rug before the bed. The walls were green too, and there were green decorations scattered around the room. And impressive looking desk sat next to an equally impressive looking bookshelf in the corner.

Arthur chuckled slightly. "Well, yes. It is a penthouse, after all."

"But this is really really big! And you just sleep here?" Alfred tilted his head back against Arthur's stomach to look at him. "Are the other rooms all this big?!"

"Uh... Yes, quite a few are bigger."

"Whoa! Help me onto the bed!" Straightening out, Alfred rolled closer to it and started grabbing at the sheets.

Arthur blinked at him for a moment, then laughed softly and shook his head. "Come on, then," he murmured as he moved forwards, helping lift the merman onto the mattress.

Once he was up there Alfred sprawled over it, laughing out loud in happiness. "It's so soft, Artie!" He practically felt himself sinking into the sheets, and after a moment he held a hand out to Arthur. "Come join me?"

Smiling a little, Arthur took the hand and pulled himself on next to the other. "Of course."

But Alfred wasn't satisfied, and with a little huff he lifted Arthur and deposited him right on his stomach so the Brit was straddling his hips. "There we go! Perfect!"

"Ah-" Arthur raised his brows, turning a little red at the sudden difference, and his hands quickly went to lie on Alfred's stomach to stabilize himself. "L-Like this?"

"Yes, just like this! It's perfect!" Alfred smiled sweetly up at him. "Artie..."

"All- All right." Arthur tilted his head gently. "Hm? What is it?"

"I just like you so much..." Alfred murmured. He avoided using the other l-word because of Arthur's reaction last time, but he thought this would be okay.

Arthur blinked, but then smiled, still slightly shyly. "...Me too," he said quietly.

"Really?" Alfred's face lit up- well this was a better reaction! "I'm glad!" His tail wriggled and his arms went around Arthur's shoulders, pulling him close.

"Ah-" Eyes widening, Arthur then relaxed and leant into it, his own arms coming up to Alfred's sides. "Yes..."

"We can't stay here long though, which sucks, but it was nice to feel it!" Alfred's tail was already getting itchy despite his towel, and soon it would burn. "Let's move on?"

"Oh, of course - all right then, come on."

His arms slipped back down to his sides and once Arthur was upright he helped the merman to his wheelchair. The now damp towel did soothe Alfred's tail a little bit, but he estimated they only had twenty minutes tops before Alfred had to go back to the water. "So where to next? Do you have a book room?"

"A...? Oh, a library? I do, yes," Arthur replied, heading off in that direction.

"I betcha have lots of books!" Alfred commented as they stopped outside another door. And when that door opened, he immediately saw that he was right.

Floor-to-ceiling bookcases covered each wall, and every single one of those were fit to bursting. Not only that, but there were free standing bookshelves in random parts of the room as well. In one corner there were a couple of armchairs of varying plushiness along with a table that contained an electric kettle (plugged into the wall socket that had been oh so carefully build around with the bookshelves), a teacup set, and a cake stand.

The merman's eyes were wide as he took it all in. "Holy shit..." he whispered.

Arthur raised a brow. "You like it?"

"I do! It's so...you!"

"Me?" Arthur repeated, half confused, half amused.

"Yeah! It just radiates Arthur Kirkland!"

"It does?"

"Yeah!" Alfred nodded enthusiastically. "There's so many books, and then the tea machine, and then the chairs to sit in, and it's just really, really you! I like it!"

Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly. "Well I'm glad you do."

"Mhm!" Alfred smiled. "How long did it take you to get all these books?"

"Oh... I've had some of them since childhood," Arthur replied.

"But I mean the others!"

Arthur shrugged. "My whole life, I suppose. I just ended up getting a lot of books over the years.

"Ah! That's cool, Artie!" Grabbing hold of Arthur's hand, Alfred rubbed it against his cheek. "We gotta spend more time here sometime when we're not hurrying!"

"Oh-right, of course," Arthur said, his brows raising as he went to push Alfred, stroking his cheek a little first.

The merman purred at the touches, then slumped into his seat as they moved down the hallway. "Where to next, Artie? Living room?"

"Yes, living room," the Brit agreed with a smile, leading Alfred that direction and then pushing the door open to reveal his lush living space.

This room was also elegant, with hints of green on the walls and floor. Alfred spun his chair around, his eyes lighting up when he saw the wood-burning fireplace. "You know, if that thing didn't make my dry out even faster," he said, gesturing to it. "I'd love to just spend a night cuddled in front of the fire..."

Arthur glanced at the merman and smiled softly. "Mm... That would be nice..." he agreed.

"Yeah..." Alfred saddened briefly, knowing that it would probably never happen, but a moment later he was smiling again. "So next room?" They had less than ten minutes left. The tail was already itching madly, though the merman refrained from touching it.

"Ah right- the games room?"

The games room had Alfred smiling broadly in delight, though they had to speed past it. Arthur also showed him the guestroom and one of the bathrooms before Alfred's tail began to burn and he let out a tiny whimper. The moment Arthur heard it he swore, apologized, and immediately wheeled him back to the pool room.

"A-Ah..." Alfred closed his eyes, trembling a bit ad he lowered himself into the water. Pain flared up in his tail at the initial contact, but it was quickly soothed away and the merman sighed in relief.

"Is- Is it all right now?" Arthur asked, fretting about the pool.

Alfred glanced at him and reached out a hand to grasp Arthur's leg and stop his pacing. "I'm okay, Artie. No harm done!"

Letting out a small sigh, Arthur smiled softly. "All right. That's good, then."

"Yeah! And don't blame yourself or anything." Turning Around, Alfred pressed a kiss to Arthur's shin.

"Okay. I won't," Arthur replied, giving the other a small smile and ruffling his hair.

"Good! Come down here, then!" Alfred commanded.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked and sat by the edge.

Alfred immediately cozied up to his knees, placing his hands delicately on Arthur's thighs. "Hey there!"

"Heh, hello," Arthur replied with a soft smile.

"Hi Artie!" The merman nuzzled to his legs. "Can you take me on another tour to finish up the house later?"

Chuckling, Arthur stroked his hair. "Of course I can."

"Thanks, Artie! But what I did see of your house is really cool!" Alfred looked at the time- early evening. "Are you gonna sleep here with me? Or on that nice soft bed?"

"Oh- I-I'll stay here," Arthur murmured.

"You will?" Alfred smiled brightly.

"Well- Yes, of course."

"Thanks, Artie!" Leaning down, Alfred pressed a kiss to Arthur's leg. "Do you wanna shower first?"

"Mm..." Smiling softly, Arthur nodded. "I suppose that'd be good, yes."

"Okay. So go, go! I'll be here waiting for you!"

"Right, right," Arthur chuckled, ruffling Alfred's hair before leaving. He was back within ten minutes, a towel still on his head to help dry his hair.

"Hello again!" Alfred tilted his head. "...Why do you have that on your head?"

"Oh, it's just to dry my hair..." Arthur replied.

"It's weird," the merman declared.

Arthur frowned softly and pulled it off with a huff. "It isn't that weird..." he mumbled.

"Hey, I didn't say it was a bad weird! I mean I'm weird too!"

"Well, how is using a towel to dry oneself weird anyway?" Arthur asked with another huff.

"No, leaving it there is!" Alfred huffed right back.

"But-! My hair hadn't dried yet, and I wanted to come back... Here..." Arthur trailed off, a small flush crossing his face.

Alfred lowered his head. "I know... Thanks for wanting to, Artie."

"Y-Yes," Arthur replied, shifting a little.

"C'mere." Alfred took Arthur's hand and pressed kisses to the palm of it.

"Ah... What's this for?"

"Because I wanna," Alfred whispered to him, happily giving him more kisses.

"Oh," Arthur breathed, watching the other as his heart jumped.

"Heh." With a final kiss, Alfred pulled his mouth away and instead brought the hand to cup his cheek.

Arthur smiled softly, caressing Alfred's cheek. "So... To bed, then?"

"Yeah, to bed! Well, plus cuddling!" Purring, Alfred leaned into the caresses.

"All right, then, come on," Arthur said with a chuckle.

Careful not to get Arthur wet - the man had just showered to remove the salt and sweat from his body - Alfred guided them to the mattress. There he let go of Arthur's hand and clambered on. Turning around again after making sure that his upper half was dry, he opened his arms and held them out invitingly.

Arthur smiled softly, pondering how this situation came to be, and how he came to love it so much, before climbing onto the mattress and into Alfred's embrace.

Chirping happily, Alfred wrapped his arms around Arthur's body and pulled him close. His mouth ended up next to Arthur's left ear, and he eagerly used that positioning to make happy little sounds into it.

Pleasant shivers ran down Arthur's spine at the noises, and he hummed softly, smiling to himself as his own arms gently came to rest on Alfred's back.

"Ooh!" Alfred suddenly remembered something and shifted to grab his phone. He quickly sent off a text to Gilbert, making sure that Arthur couldn't see exactly what he was doing, and then placed the phone back down. He wrapped more tightly around Arthur's body and continued cooing into the Brit's ear.

Though initially curious of what Alfred had been doing, Arthur shrugged it off and happily leaned into the hug.

"Hey Artie," Alfred whispered to him after a moment.

"Hm? What is it?" Arthur murmured back.

Alfred moved so his mouth was right up against Arthur's ear. "I'm gonna give you so much affection," he murmured hotly. "I'm gonna give you so much you'll get  _sick_  of it..."

"A-Are you now?" Arthur mumbled, flushing slightly. "That'll have to be a hell of a lot, then..."

"Yeah!" The merman nodded eagerly. "I got a lotta affection stored up in me!"

"Well you're going to need more than that for me to be sick of it..."

"Heh, bring it on, Artie! Except not really cuz I don't want you to be sick of me..."

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be silly, I won't get sick of you."

"Really? You think you won't?" Alfred smiled back at him.

"I know I won't, you idiot," Arthur replied fondly.

"You're an idiot!" Alfred huffed back at him.

"What- how am  _I_?!"

"You just are!"

"That's not a proper explanation!"

"Too bad!"

"Wh- That's just silly!"

"You're silly!"

"Is that your comeback to everything?!"

"You're my-" The merman froze and shut his mouth, blinking sheepishly.

Snorting, Arthur burst out laughing and raised a brow at the other.

"Don't laugh at me!" Alfred cried, reddening.

"Well it's not as if I can help it!" Arthur chuckled. "That look of yours was just so damn cute."

"You thought I was cute?" Alfred smiled again.

"Well yes," Arthur replied, raising a brow.

"I'm glad!" Alfred smothered his cheeks with kisses.

"Ah-" Arthur chortled softly, leaning into it.

After leaving a final few kisses on Arthur's cheeks, Alfred leaned back and simply gazed at him. "Arthur..." he whispered, looking proud of himself for that kissing episode.

"Hm?" Arthur murmured back, grinning slightly in amusement.

"What?" Alfred tilted his head. "Whatcha so happy about?"

Arthur shook his head. "Just, you."

"Me?" Alfred wriggled softly and pressed closer against him. "Me as in...how cute I am? Or how much you like me? Orrrr how happy you are to just be with me here cuddling?"

"Mm, how about all three?" Arthur murmured with a small smile.

Alfred's eyes widened and he squealed happily. "Well I'm happy about all three things too!"

Chuckling softly, Arthur leant forwards to peck Alfred's lips. "Heh, that's good."

"Ah!" Alfred let out a soft gasp and chased Arthur's lips when the Brit moved back. He kissed the man fiercely, his hand tangling in the blond hair.

Blinking in his surprise, Arthur's eyes then slipped shut, and his lips moved with Alfred's.

"Mmh..." The merman held it for a few seconds before pulling back. "So let's sleep now?"

"Heh... All right," Arthur murmured, eyes opening a crack.

"Night then, babe..." Alfred whispered to him, then pressed a kiss to his forehead and was asleep moments later.

Smiling softly to himself, Arthur snuggled in closer to drift off himself.

The next morning, at around seven am, the door slammed open. " _Guten Morgen, meine Prinzessinnen_!" Gilbert yelled cheerfully.

Jumping awake, Arthur whirled around to stare at the intruding German with wide, confused eyes. "Wha- What the hell are you...?!"

Leering, Gilbert drew out his phone even as Alfred sleepily stirred. "Got a message from your lover boy last night:  _Gil, we got together! Artie likes me! But don't disturb us tonight, kay?_ " he read out loud with glee. "So how was it?"

"What-" Gilbert's words certainly woke the Brit up, and his eyes widened even further as he shifted slightly, face turning a furious red. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Gilbert's smirk grew. "Your new boyfriend sent me a text. Want me to read it to you again?"

"I-I heard it the first time, thank you!" Arthur sputtered.

As Gilbert cackled, Alfred hesitantly tugged on Arthur's arm. "A-Artie?"

Jumping slightly, Arthur then turned to look at Alfred. "Ah... Wh- What is it?"

The merman lowered his gaze, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry... I-I didn't mean it to sound bad... I just thought since he helped..."

"Wh-? N-No, I- You didn't-" Flustered, Arthur looked between the two others. "It- It's fine, Alfred..."

Alfred still didn't look convinced, and he hung his head.

At the same time, Gilbert had finally composed himself and squatted by the edge of the pool. "Hey merboy, it's okay. So there wasn't any sex? Pity I guess, but you'll work up to it." He grinned. "I just wanted to come by and say I'm happy for you guys."

"No there wasn't any- wait, what?" Arthur blinked at the other, then raised a brow skeptically. "Really? And you came here at seven in the morning to do that?"

"Hey, I do things in style."

"...Right. Style," Arthur grumbled, turning over on the mattress to face Alfred and away from the German.

"Aww don't be like that, Kirkland!" Gilbert sighed dramatically.

"Like what?" Arthur huffed, leaning into the merman as his arms wrapped tighter around the Brit.

"So...stodgy. And mean." The German shifted so he was sitting comfortably on the edge, his feet in the water. "Can't an old friend pop by to congratulate you on finally getting someone?"

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Arthur muttered, even though he knew exactly.

"Heh, you know." Gilbert leaned back and stretched, a happy sigh working its way from his mouth. "Anyway, once I tell Mattie and Fritz - and collect my dues - we'll be over tonight for a celebratory dinner!"

"Wha-" Arthur blinked, looking back over his shoulder at the other. " _Tonight_?"

"Yeah! Is that a problem? We'll bring the food, again. No need for the fire department to show up again..." The last part was muttered.

"That- That didn't happen!"

"Oh it totally did!" Gilbert wriggled his shoulders and settled down for a nice long story. "It was about a week after Artie here moved in and we'd officially met him. It was all nice and calm, but then we heard the fire alarm-"

"ALL RIGHT, all right, fine, you can come over for dinner!" Arthur interrupted, anything to shut Gilbert up.

"THE FIRE ALARM go off," Gilbert only continued in a louder voice, his smirk growing when he saw Alfred turn to him in interest. "I mean I totally knew it was Arthur, the dude's British and I've seen him totally smashed, but anyway then the fire department showed up and they led Arthur down to our floor and went in and what do you know they found a batch of charcoal lumps in the oven."

"Gilbert!" Arthur cried, face turning red once more.

"Really, Artie?" Alfred turned to the Brit, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"N-No!" Arthur gave Alfred a desperate look. "I can cook! You know that, right?"

"So he still claims," Gilbert whispered snidely.

"Heh, sure, Artie." Alfred leaned forward and pecked Arthur's cheek.

Arthur blinked. "Y-You've eaten my food before! You said you  _liked_  it!"

The merman blinked back. "Well... You've probably gotten better..."

Gilbert chimed in again. "Oh but he got worse before that. I think the fire department came about three more times-"

"Shut it, Gilbert," Arthur hissed, huffing.

"I love you too, man." Gilbert sweetly blew him a kiss, while winking at Alfred to show that he didn't really mean it. Luckily, the merman understood and even chuckled back at him.

Arthur just huffed again, frowning to himself.

"Well, since it looks like I've overstayed my welcome-"

"-you have-"

"-I shall be on my way. And we'll see you guys at like seven tonight?" Gilbert rose and dried his feet off on a nearby towel before waving and leaving.

"Sure, sure," Arthur muttered, waving him off.

When the door shut, Alfred started fidgeting nervously. "I-I am sorry about the text..." he mumbled.

Arthur shook his head. "Don't be..."

"Are you sure?" Alfred hesitantly brought his gaze up to meet Arthur's.

Giving a small smile, Arthur nodded.

"Okay. Thank you, Artie!" Alfred rushed forward and hugged him tight. "Thanks for not being mad!"

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, then smiled a little more and hugged him gently back. "How could I be mad...?" he murmured.

"Well you could... I accidentally made it sound like we had sex..."

"What? That doesn't matter..."

Alfred relaxed fully. "Ah, okay." He sighed happily and nuzzled to the Brit.

Stroking the other's hair gently, Arthur closed his eyes and hummed. "Good morning, though, dear."

"Ah, ah, yeah! Good morning!" Alfred beamed at him even though Arthur couldn't see and gave him another kiss. "Do you wanna go back to sleep though? It is early..."

"Mm, I wouldn't mind it..."

"Okay then! Let's sleep some more!" Alfred snuggled down to him, closing his eyes and soon snoring.

Chuckling a little, Arthur watched the other for a while, mid-way between sleep and wakefulness, before he drifted off himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Gilbert...


	17. Chapter 17

When Alfred woke again, it was a couple of hours later and Arthur was still asleep. The merman wriggled a tiny bit and watched him with a content face. Then, when Arthur did eventually stir, he gave the man a nuzzle.

Arthur's eyes slowly cracked open at the gesture. He blinked, bleary-eyed, up at Alfred for a moment, then wrapped his limbs tightly around the merman. Burying his face into the other's skin, he then gave a content huff.

"Heh, someone's clingy..." Alfred commented as he adjusted his grip around Arthur accordingly.

"M'not," Arthur mumbled, as he clung all the tighter to the merman.

"Oh of course not," Alfred teased, kissing his cheek.

"I'm not!" Arthur cried again, voice muffled by Alfred's skin.

"Heh..." The merman only kissed him more.

Mewling softly, Arthur leaned into the touches, snuggling closer to the other.

Alfred's eyes widened. "Wh- What are those noises?" he asked with a small laugh. He'd heard those noises while watching a television program about rescuing animals - kittens, he believed they were called - but no other human on that program or any other one had made them.

"Hm?" Arthur murmured, frowning slightly in confusion.

"The... These noises!" Alfred imitated Arthur's mewling. "What are they? They sound cute!"

"I-I don't know..." Arthur murmured, flushing slightly. "It-It just happens... When..."

"When what?" Alfred asked softly.

"Just- in situations like this- when it feels nice..."

"Ah..." Understanding dawned in Alfred's eyes and he smiled. "I'm glad it feels nice."

"Y-Yes," Arthur replied, flushing slightly.

"So did you sleep well this time?" The merman tilted his head softly and dragged his nose across Arthur's cheek.

"Mm- yes," Arthur said softly.

"That's good!" Smiling, Alfred kissed him. When he pulled away, he looked pensive. "So, dinner tonight... You guys'll be eating in the dining room, right?"

"Don't be silly," Arthur said with a huff. "We'll be eating here with you."

"R-Really?" Alfred's face brightened, then fell again. "But it'll be more awkward here for you guys, won't it?"

"It'll be fine. We can put you in a nice suit, set up a table, it's all right."

"Yeah yea- Wait, what?" Alfred blinked at him. "A nice suit? What?"

"What? It's a dinner party, you'll need to wear a suit..."

"But I'm a merman! I can't wear pants or anything like that!"

Arthur hummed, thinking. "Well you can just wear the top part, then."

"But I don't wanna wear a suit!" Alfred complained.

"Alfred..." Arthur sighed. "It's a dinner party. Do you really not want to?"

"W-Well if you really want me to... Then I guess I can," Alfred mumbled.

Arthur sighed softly, and glanced down for a moment, but then nudged Alfred with his elbow and raised a brow. "But imagine how it'll feel when we take it off and feel each other's skin again, hm?"

Alfred thought about it for a moment, and then his pupils dilated. "Oh hell yes." And when he smiled, his teeth were slightly pointed.

Both eyebrows went up at that, and Arthur blinked. "...So you'll wear one?"

"If I can have my way with you afterwards," Alfred replied with a casual shrug, though his eyes were fixated on the skin of the crook of Arthur's neck.

"I-I..." Arthur's mouth stuttered, along with his eyes as he blinked more, face pinking - he wasn't a dense man, and he could sense the insinuation. "I suppose- um- all- all right."

"Good." The merman leaned forward and ever so gently brushed his teeth against Arthur's skin. "That's good Artie..."

"Ah..." Arthur shivered gently, his breath coming out in a soft shudder as his hands clung a little tighter to Alfred. "I... I thought you said after," he whispered.

"What? I can't give you a little taste?" Alfred murmured back.

"Taste-? You'll...spoil your appetite..."

"I know." Alfred closed his mouth and leaned back, though he still looked excited. "So do you have a suit for me?"

"Mm, well there's the one you tried on last time, and I think I have another one that's a little too big on me." Arthur hummed slightly, leaning into the other as he thought. "I'll probably be able to fix it before they get here."

"Okay!" Alfred brightened again. "Would you like me to model it before they come?"

"That would be good - around lunch time should be fine."

"So lunch time I get 'dressed' and until then we stay in bed and watch TV and just be together?" Alfred looked up at him hopefully, hoping that Arthur didn't have to make up any work since he missed the day yesterday.

Arthur watched him for a moment, then gave a small sigh. "All right," he said, smiling a little.

"You're the best, Artie!" Throwing his body at Arthur's and rocking the mattress dangerously, Alfred squeezed him tight. "Really! You're the bestest ever!"

"Ah..." Eyes widening slightly, Arthur gently wrapped his arms around the other and chuckled. "Really..."

"Yes, yes! And also I'm hungry so get me food."

"Pff, demanding... All right, what do you want?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Alfred attempted to look regal. "I am a rare and majestic creature and I need food. I demand...bacon!"

Arthur raised a brow, clearly trying not to laugh. "Bacon?"

"Yes, bacon." Alfred turned his head up and sniffed, clearly not amused by Arthur's amusement.

Unable to stop a small smirk from pulling at the corner of his lips, Arthur stood precariously on the mattress and gave an extravagant bow. "Of  _course_ , my liege."

"Meanie!" Alfred declared, and pushed Arthur into the water.

"Wah-" Arthur eyes widened as he fell backwards, arms flailing for something to grab onto. He sputtered and huffed when he broke the surface again, shaking his head to get rid of water and narrowing his eyes at Alfred before grinning slightly and splashing him.

"Hey!" Alfred splashed back and then slid gracefully into the water, where he smirked. He had the upper hand here.

Huffing, Arthur frowned at him, and then pounced, catching the merman in his arms.

Letting out an indignant squawk, Alfred wriggled in his grasp, trying to get free. "Lemme go!"

"Heh, no way," Arthur muttered, tightening his grip slightly.

"Mean! Mean! Arthur's being mean!" the merman whined pitifully, starting to whimper and sniffle. It was all an act, of course, but Arthur didn't have to know that.

"Well you're the one who pushed me in the water!"

"You were mean then toooooooo!"

"How was I?!"

"You were being all- all sarcastic!"

Huffing, Arthur let the other slip away and stood up properly. "Well you still pushed me in, so now I'll make you soggy bacon," he said, heading to the edge of the pool. "And I know crocodile tears when I see them," he grumbled, leaving for the door.

"N-No, wait!" Alfred surged after him, holding an arm out towards his figure with a pitiful look on his face. "No soggy bacon! And- And crocodile tears?"

Arthur raised a brow. "Pretending to cry when you're not."

"Oh." Alfred looked down. "I'm sorry..."

Crossing his arms, Arthur frowned slightly. "Oi, look up at me, at least."

"Y-Yeah?" The merman obediently snapped his gaze to Arthur's, though he still looked hesitant.

Arthur let out a small huff, then leant down to press a kiss to Alfred's lips, taking the merman's chin in his fingers and grinning slightly as he pulled away. "I'll go make you that bacon, hmm?"

"Not soggy?" Alfred asked hopefully, cheered by the kiss.

"No, not soggy."

"Okay!" Grinning back widely, Alfred waved. "See you in a bit!"

Smiling back at the other, Arthur moved to the kitchen to get started on the breakfast. His merman would get bacon, of course, but the Brit thought that he should put some other foods on the plate as well to balance it out. He decided on eggs and toast with butter, and a light little fruit smoothie made with the special smoothie maker Gilbert had gotten him for Christmas one year. For himself, he prepared some more toast, as well as beans and some sausage. He hummed softly as he cooked, drying parts of his body off whenever he had the chance, and tried to follow the cookbook instructions as best as he could. Soon enough he was back in the pool room, tray in his arms.

Alfred, who had been lazing about on the edge of the pool, looked up and grinned at the sight. Arthur was dripping wet, and then of course he could smell the bacon on the plate. His smile faded slightly, though, when he saw the other stuff there. "Why'd ya put other foods?"

"You can't just have bacon for breakfast," Arthur answered with a huff.

"Why not?"

"It's unhealthy!"

"But I'm a merman!"

"And? It's still unhealthy."

"Hmph, fine." Alfred hauled himself out and held his arms out for the plate.

Arthur handed it over before starting on his own breakfast. The two of them sat there for a while, each with their own plate on their lap, and looked at each other. They both wanted the other person to start first, but that resulted in a moment of awkward glances and half-amused smiles. At one point Arthur chuckled, and that seemed to break the spell.

"And after this we cuddle?" Alfred asked, looking between his food and Arthur again. The merman was anxious to get back to it.

"Yes, yes," Arthur replied with a chuckle.

"Okay, good. I wanna cuddle with you," Alfred told him seriously.

Arthur blinked, then smiled at the other again. "Mm, me too."

"Ooh!" At that Alfred's eyes widened and he started shoveling the food into his mouth as quickly as possible.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle warmly at this, and he shook his head before finishing up his plate.

Within two minutes, Alfred and Arthur were curled up on the mattress again, half watching late morning television and half kissing desperately. Alfred didn't even remember the name of the channel that he'd turned to. All he knew and felt and sensed was Arthur. And that was all he really needed.

"Mmh... Alfred," Arthur murmured into it, his fingers tightening in the merman's hair as the kiss deepened.

"Arthur..." Alfred mumbled back, a low moan rising from his throat. He shifted even more onto Arthur's lap, tail wriggling its way deeper between the Brit's legs. "Arthur, Arthur, Arthur!"

Letting out a small groan himself, Arthur leaned into the other.

"Gosh, Artie-" Alfred disentangled himself a few minutes later out of the necessity for air. "Arthur, you're an amazing kisser, you know?" he whispered, taking Arthur's cheeks gently in his hands. He was also starting to get a bit excited, so he had to force himself to calm down. No need for his cock to make a surprise entrance just then. When he had it under control, he grinned more and leaned forward to rub his nose over Arthur's cheek. "Such a good kisser..."

"Mm... Well, for someone who's apparently not kissed before, so are you," Arthur murmured back.

"You really think so, Artie?" Alfred flushed happily at the complement.

"Oh God, yes." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Are you  _sure_  you haven't had more practice with someone else at some point?"

"I am!" Alfred looked indignant at the very thought. "I wouldn't lie to you, Artie!"

"I know, I know," Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"Hmph! Kiss me to make up for that!"

"Oh? Such a severe punishment," Arthur teased, grinning ever so slightly as he leaned forwards to leave the tiniest hint of a peck on Alfred's lips.

"That doesn't count!" Alfred only pouted more. "It's gotta be a proper kiss!"

"Oh really?" A hand came up to the back of Alfred's head, and Arthur moved close again. "Then what exactly, pray tell, is a 'proper kiss', hm? This, perhaps?" he murmured quietly against Alfred's lips, giving a firmer but still chaste kiss. "Or maybe...this...?" With a small smirk, Arthur pulled Alfred forwards so their lips met harshly in the middle, and kissed him fully.

"Eek!" The merman let out a soft squeak at the fiercer kiss. He was left wallowing for a moment before the amazing feeling kicked in and he eagerly kissed back. His own hands, which had flailed from surprise, settled again on Arthur's shoulders and held the Brit tightly in place.

Chuckling softly to himself, Arthur pressed forwards more, gently nipping Alfred's lower lip and running his tongue along it. The merman's mouth fell open automatically and he moaned into Arthur's mouth. Arthur eagerly dived in, his tongue swirling round and exploring every recess of Alfred's mouth, before he pulled back with a smug grin. "Something more like that?"

"Y-Yeah..." Alfred whispered back. His head was spinning from the kiss and he felt as though in a daze. A dopey smile came over his face and he happily rested his forehead against Arthur's shoulder. "Cruel, Artie," he moaned.

"Hm, cruel? Do you mean me?"

"Yeah!"

"How am I  _cruel_?" the Brit asked innocently.

"Because you are!" A pitiful whine slipped into Alfred's voice. "Makin' my insides melt like that..."

"Just from a kiss, hm?" Arthur raised a brow.

"J-Just from you." Alfred's cheeks pinked and he looked demurely at the Brit from under his eyelashes.

Arthur blinked, watching the other for a moment before pushing his face away with a hand. "I should be the one saying that," he muttered, face red.

"Wh- Wait, why?" Alfred leaned back eagerly towards the hand, rubbing his cheek against it.

"Why what? You do the same thing, you idiot."

Alfred blinked. "I- I do? I make you melt inside?"

Arthur just glanced at Alfred, red faced, and shifted a little, his face portraying all.

"Aww, Artie! I do, don't I? That's awesome!" Alfred rubbed against him, purring like a contented cat.

"...You idiot," Arthur murmured softly, wrapping his arms gently around the other.

Alfred grinned broadly at the insult, and he was so happy that there were practically hearts in his eyes. "I'm your idiot!"

The Brit huffed at that, closing his eyes and tightening his hold a little. "Hmph. You are."

"And you're clingy!" Alfred declared then, beaming over at his lover.

"Wha- I-I'm not!"

"Then whatcha doing now?" Alfred looked down at him with twinkling eyes.

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again, and let out a huff. "...Hugging."

"You mean clinging."

"Wh- I- n-no!"

Experimentally, Alfred tried moving away from him a tiny bit, and Arthur's arms quickly tightened their grip. "Not clinging at all, hmm?" he asked with a smile.

Scowling, Arthur's face reddened, and within a few seconds it was buried in Alfred's chest.

"Heh... Artie, Artie!" Alfred gently cooed into the Brit's ear. His arms tightened around Arthur's form and he squeezed him tightly. "So you admit you're clingy?"

Arthur huffed again, and he peeked up at Alfred. "...So?"

"So that's cute!" Alfred told him, quickly leaning down to kiss his nose. "And I'm glad because that means I get to cuddle you more!"

Nose wrinkling at the sudden kiss, Arthur just huffed a few more times. "Fine," he muttered.

"So cute, Artie!" Chuckling at the huffs, Alfred used his chin to gently nudge Arthur's face down again. He wrapped around the human, holding him close. "...And if you want I can try on the stupid suit soon."

Arthur let his eyes droop shut, and he hummed softly. "Mm, soon," he agreed in a murmur.

"You wanna sleep a bit more now?" Alfred raised a hand to stroke Arthur's hair gently.

"We don't have to  _sleep_ ," Arthur mumbled back, leaning into it.

"Just cuddle and be together?"

Arthur nodded softly.

"Okay. We can do that!" Alfred pressed kisses to his hair.

Humming with contentment, Arthur leaned into the other, happily snuggled into him.

They didn't move for a couple of hours, both of them content and neither willing to be the one to ruin the atmosphere. In the end, it was once again Alfred's stomach that prompted him to act. It growled loudly, and the merman flushed. "Sorry, Artie..." he mumbled and hid his face.

Arthur blinked and then laughed, giving Alfred a small squeeze. "It's all right. I'll make some lunch, yes?"

"Yes! Could you make grilled cheese? I saw it on TV and it looked so good!"

Arthur raised a brow at the name, but decided not to comment. "Sure, I can. Do you want anything extra in it?"

"...Bacon!"

"...Of course," Arthur said with a chuckle. "I'll make you that, and you try the suit on then, deal?"

"Deal, deal!" Alfred nodded enthusiastically.

And so, after a few minutes, Arthur was back with lunch and the two suits.

Alfred lit up at the food, tastefully ignoring the clothes for the moment. "Thank you, Artie!" he chirped before hauling himself out onto the edge and setting upon the poor sandwich with sharpened teeth.

"Heh, you're welcome," Arthur chuckled, starting on his own sandwich. "So? How is it?"

As he peered at Alfred, the merman could decipher a hint of nervousness in Arthur's eyes. The fact that Arthur cared so much warmed Alfred's heart, and he nodded vehemently. "Perfect! The bacon makes it sooooo good!"

"Mm, that's good, then."

When he was finished with the plate Alfred leaned back and sighed contently, stretching out on the ground. "That was so good."

"I'm glad you thought so," Arthur said with a small smile. "So, shall we try the suits?"

The merman groaned and his face fell. "Do we gotta?"

"Well we need to make sure that it fits."

"Okay..." Alfred sat up and dried himself off. "Do you gotta get the salt water off my skin?"

"Mm... It should be fine, since you're just trying it on," Arthur replied, thinking about which to try.

"Okay! But when it's time for dinner then you'll wash the salt away, right?" Alfred imagined Arthur gently trailing a sweetwater-drenched cloth over the human part of him and shuddered from anticipation.

"Of course," Arthur said with a smile. "Hm... This one first?"

"Sure!" With the thoughts of what was to come filling his mind, Alfred eagerly stretched out his arms so Arthur could put the suit on.

Arthur quickly slid it on him, buttoning up the shirt and testing the jacket out.

"Well?" Alfred twisted around a bit too show off all angles of it.

Nodding appreciatively, Arthur inspected it fully. "It's all right. The sleeves could come up a bit, but other than that it fits rather well... Shall we try the black one?"

"Will you take this off me then?" Alfred's voice lowered to a purr. He figured he might as well make this as good as possible for himself, and feeling Arthur's hands against his skin would definitely feel good.

"Of- Of course," Arthur said quietly, blinking and then moving forwards, his fingers fiddling with the buttons to take the outfit off.

Alfred chuckled softly at the slight fumbles. "Gettin' a bit nervous there, Artie?"

"Wha- Why would I be nervous...?" Arthur said with a small huff.

"Well your hand's shaking a bit," Alfred teased lightly.

"I- It is not!" Arthur cursed inwardly, forcing his hand to still just in case.

"It's okay, Artie..."

"What is?"

"That you're nervous." Alfred grinned. "I mean, I am so hot."

Eyes widening as he flushed, Arthur looked down and quickly finished unbuttoning the merman's shirt. "I am not nervous!"

"Heh, whatever you say, Artie," Alfred told him gently.

"Shut it," Arthur huffed, taking the other outfit and gently starting to pull it over Alfred's body.

But now Alfred was smirking, and he gently flexed for the man while he was slipping the shirt over his shoulders.

Pausing as he watched the muscles move, Arthur swallowed gently and fumbled with the shirt, trying to pull it closed.

"Not bothered at all, Artie?" Alfred whispered to him, rolling his hips a bit and allowing the muscles of his stomach to undulate quite nicely.

Arthur's hands twitched, and, eyes flicking down, he let out a soft, shuddering breath. "N... Not at all," he murmured quietly.

"Are you sure?" Alfred gave a languid stretch, his abs and biceps getting shown off nicely in the process.

Arthur's eyes traveled up Alfred's body to his face, and he stared at the merman a few moments, hands frozen in place.

There was a gentle smile on Alfred's face, and his eyes were warm. "Hey there, Artie," he murmured.

"...Hi," Arthur murmured, staring a little more before he lost the ability to control himself and pulled Alfred forwards by the collar he was still gripping, into a fierce kiss.  _The git_.

Closing his eyes, Alfred eagerly kissed back. His lips couldn't help curling into a smile as his mouth opened.

"Mmh..." Arthur immediately pushed in with his tongue, eager to feel Alfred's against his.

And Alfred humored him, happy to have their tongues sliding against each other's. His arms also shifted to Arthur's shoulders, the half buttoned shirt forgotten.

A moan slipped into Alfred's mouth from Arthur's, his own hands reaching behind Alfred and tangling in his hair.

"Artie-" Alfred gasped out, responding with a moan of his own.

"Hm?" Arthur asked between kisses.

"Artie- I can't help it- I love you!" Alfred replied, chest heaving for breath.

Arthur stared at the other for a second and shifted, face flushing, then pressed forwards into another kiss.

But Alfred turned his cheek towards Arthur's lips, so they met it instead of his own mouth. "I love you, Arthur," he repeated quietly, to drive it home. "Maybe you think it's too early or something, but I know. I love you."

Arthur blinked up at the other, before dropping his gaze. "I-I know, Alfred... I believe you," he murmured back.

Alfred looked away too. "Take your time..." he said weakly. He understood Arthur, he really did, but it wasn't like they'd met yesterday. And he really wanted open admissions of affection in his life again.

"N-" Arthur's eyes widened slightly and his expression slackened. "I just- have to do it this way-! I have to use actions and... Because I-I can't admit out loud how much I already-" Eyes flickering up to Alfred's face and saddening at his expression, the next words slipped from his tongue before he could stop them. "-love you." As soon as they were out, Arthur's eyes widened even more, and he turned a furious red.

Alfred's own eyes widened and he stared at Arthur. "You- You do? You really do?"

"I... I didn't mean to say that, you know..." he mumbled, unable to meet Alfred's eyes, then hurriedly added on, "B-But it's still true!" This was no time to be cowardly and shy away from the truth. "I... I'm not very good at saying these things- A few old partners have left me for that reason and- mm... Even if I don't say it, I mean it." The Brit finally let his eyes tentatively trail up to Alfred's.

The merman's face had fallen even further at the first part, but now he looked hopeful. "I won't leave you for it." He gave Arthur a tiny, hopeful smile. "I like to hear you say it."

"I know," Arthur said quietly, his eyes wide and lugubrious.

The smile vanished and Alfred looked down again. "Doesn't change my feelings," he mumbled, then pulled away a tiny bit to finish buttoning up the shirt.

Arthur blinked, watching the other. "Wh-What?"

"If you don't say it, I'll still love you," Alfred told him, gaze focused on the shirt. "Could you give me the jacket?"

"Wh- O-Oh, right," Arthur mumbled, shifting back to get the jacket and a little confused about the bad atmosphere.

Alfred wanted to flee. His chest and throat closed up and his eyes hinted at possible tears. When Arthur turned away to grab the clothing, his shoulders slumped. "M'sorry..." he whispered when Arthur looked back at him again. Closing his eyes, he quickly grabbed Arthur's face and gave him a clumsy kiss to the forehead before retreating to his previous position.

Blinking, Arthur looked up at him, his eyes wide and somewhat forlorn. "A-Alfred?" he questioned.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up again!" Alfred told him, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. This was going even worse than last time. "Won't do it anymore until you're okay with it."

"Wh-What?" Arthur swallowed thickly. "Do... What? A-Alfred, I don't- I-I don't know why- What's happening..."

Alfred looked at him, really looked at him, and felt ashamed. Arthur, to him at least from what he'd gathered, was someone trying so hard to be brave and tough but who had been hurt so much in the past. And now here was Alfred confusing him and making him uncomfortable. The merman took a deep breath and leaned forward to gather Arthur up in a warm hug. "No, nothing," he murmured, wishing that he could take the past few minutes back. "Don't worry about it, Artie."

"What- But..." After a moment, Arthur tentatively let his arms move around Alfred's shoulders. His hands clung to the shirt on Alfred's back as he wondered what was wrong and why Alfred seemed so upset and  _damnit, why did he react so badly to my confession?_  His fists curled tighter into the fabric.

"Shh... Shhh Artie. It's okay," Alfred kept on murmuring, trying to soothe the man. His hands stroked up and down Arthur's back lightly.

Arthur stayed like that a few moments, before deciding it would be comfier if he leaned his head in the crook of Alfred's neck.

The merman smiled at that. "Hey there, Artie," he said softly, squeezing him a bit tighter as well.

"Hey," Arthur murmured, sighing a little and closing his eyes.

"Hi! Hi, Arthur!" Alfred smiled more and snuggled to him. "A-Are you okay?"

Arthur shifted, somewhat thrown off by the question. To what extent of honesty should he answer? He eventually decided upon shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Mm... I suppose," he mumbled.

"You suppose?" Alfred increased his stroking. "How are you not okay? I'll try to make it better," he promised.

Arthur shook his head slightly. "It's fine, Alfred."

"Are you sure? I can try to help or explain or something..."

Arthur just shook his head more. "It all seems to have blown over for you, anyway," he mumbled.

"Wait, wh-what?" Alfred's eyes widened and something cold and harsh pierced his chest. "It didn't! I just wanted to make you feel better!" His hands trembled faintly.

"But- Suddenly being so upset and the all of a sudden you seemed all right again..."

Alfred's voice was quiet. "I put it aside because you were more upset and I wanted to make you feel better first."

Arthur blinked, then dropped his gaze. "...I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay." Alfred gave him a squeeze. "But really, tell me what's still wrong?"

"It doesn't matter- I don't... Understand it," Arthur murmured, his eyes still lowered.

"You don't understand what?" Alfred asked softly.

"Why... Why it's like this, why you seemed to be so upset." Arthur's fingers tangled and twisted themselves in the front of Alfred's shirt. "...Why didn't you respond to my confession?" he finally asked, in barely more than a whisper.

Alfred frowned in confusion. "The one where you said you loved me too? I did respond..."

"You didn't- You just - you asked me if I really did and I answered and... You suddenly became upset..."

"Because you said you didn't mean to say it!" Alfred drew back and gazed at him with hesitant eyes. "How am I supposed to feel?"

"I... I told you I meant it," Arthur whispered.

"I know." Alfred's shoulders slumped. "But you made it seem like you never wanted to say it, and that since you had you had to go with it. I don't doubt your feelings, Arthur, I can see that you like me a lot."

"How did I- D-Did you even listen to what I was saying?"

"I was! That's what I understood!"

"I-I really don't understand... It's been two days and you already assume that I never want to say it? A-And besides that, I still said it, and you don't even  _believe_  me?" Arthur shrugged, not even knowing how to react properly. "I-I just wanted to try and get my feelings across and- and have a nice afternoon and- I-I don't know what you're trying say-"

"No, no, I do believe you!" Alfred was starting to look desperate. "I'm sorry!"

"Wh-What are you sorry for?" Arthur's eyes dropped to the floor. "I-I'm sorry, I really don't know why it's become like this..."

"I don't know either..." Alfred leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Arthur's. "And I'm more sorry!"

Arthur blinked and glanced back up at Alfred. "I-I don't think you are."

"Well I think I am!" Alfred insisted.

Arthur shifted a little and looked down again. "I am sorry," he mumbled. "I... I did mean it..."

Bringing his hand up, Alfred slipped his fingers beneath Arthur's chin and lifted it so they were face to face. "I know. I'm sorry for misunderstanding."

Arthur's eyes were wide, and they searched Alfred's desperately. "It... It's okay," he replied quietly.

"C-Can we do it again?" Alfred's thumbs moved to gently caress Arthur's cheeks.

"I- W-We can," Arthur murmured, blinking up at Alfred gently.

"So..." Alfred closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He exhaled, opened his eyes, kissed Arthur, and then smiled softly. "I love you, Arthur Kirkland."

Breath catching along with the erratic beat of his heart, Arthur's eyes searched Alfred and he swallowed, grip tightening on Alfred's shirt a little. "...I love you too, Alfred," he whispered eventually, attempting a tiny smile himself.

The result was instantaneous; Alfred's face lit up and his smile grew so wide he feared his face would split. "Arthur! I love you so much!" He threw his arms around Arthur's shoulders and squeezed him super tight.

"A-Ah..." Eyes widening a little, Arthur soon relaxed and hugged back softly. "Yes, yes," he murmured, patting Alfred's back gently.

"Really, I do!" Alfred buried his nose into Arthur's neck and kissed there. "I'm so glad you love me too!"

Sighing a little more contentedly now, Arthur closed his eyes. "Mm... Me too."

"Heh." Alfred couldn't stop smiling, and as he pulled back from Arthur he wriggled. "So pass me that jacket!"

"Ah - right," Arthur said, smiling a little more naturally now as he handed the jacket up.

"Put it on me then, babe?" Alfred asked in a low voice, stretching his arms out and showing off the tight fit of the shirt against his body.

"Mm, all right," Arthur replied, raising a brow and smirking very slightly as he slid the jacket on Alfred's body.

"Mmm..." Alfred leaned into him a bit and rolled his shoulders to get the jacket properly in place. "Well?"

"Hm..." Arthur leaned back, a hand on his chin as he inspected the outfit. "It's a little baggy in places... Come here," Arthur said, pulling Alfred forwards a little and tightening a few areas on the blazer, wrapping his arms around the merman's waist to pin it at the back.

"Ooh-" Alfred looked down at himself. "Does that make it better?"

"Definitely..." Brow furrowed in thought and concentration, Arthur focused more on the jacket, adjusting and pinning areas that he saw fit.

"So what are you gonna do about it? You can't hold it like that all the time..."

"I know, I'll fix it up for you, don't worry. There's still quite a few hours to go."

"You'll fix it up? Like sew it up yourself?" Alfred tilted his head. "You can sew?"

"Yes," Arthur replied, pulling back to unbutton the jacket and take it off.

"Heh, that's totally cool."

Arthur huffed slightly and raised a brow at the other. "If you really think so."

"Yeah, really cool!" Alfred had a grin on his face.

Unamused, Arthur simply gave a small sigh and folded the adjusted jacket over his arm. "You should tone down the sarcasm until you can use it accurately," he huffed.

"Wh- I'm not using sarcasm!"

"Really now!"

"Really!" Alfred's grin widened. "It's sooo cool that you can sew!"

"Hmph. I'm going to need to get to work soon, anyway, so I suggest you stop with the attitude before I just leave," Arthur challenged.

"Nooooo!" Alfred caught his arm and clung on tightly. "I won't let you!"

"Oh, won't you," Arthur said with a small grin of his own.

"No!" Shaking his head, Alfred wrapped his whole body firmly around Arthur's.

Chuckling slightly, Arthur patted Alfred's back. "All right, all right, I get it," Arthur replied quietly.

"Good!" But Alfred still didn't let him go.

"...I'll need to go at some point, you know," Arthur murmured, stroking the merman's back gently.

"No!" Alfred looked at him with wide, sad eyes. "You said you didn't haveta! You said you didn't gotta go today!"

"I said I'd stay for the morning... A-And I do need to sew this," Arthur replied quietly.

"O-Oh, right..." Alfred bit his lip and looked down, his fingers loosening their grip on Arthur's clothing. "Could I at least get a kiss before you leave me?"

Sighing softly, Arthur gave the other a fond smile. "Of course," he murmured, tilting Alfred's chin up and leaning forwards to give him a kiss.

The merman kissed back desperately, his eyes closed and his lips moving in a quick rhythm against Arthur's.

A small hum of surprise slipped from Arthur's mouth, and he matched Alfred's fast pace, arms going to wrap around the other.

Alfred's fingers wove back into Arthur's shirt and he clutched onto the human as hard as he could.

"Mm... Alfred..." Arthur murmured between the fierce kisses, holding the other a little closer and allowing his own eyes to shut.

Eventually though, they had to pull away. Alfred did so with great regret, though he did bring their foreheads together instead. He was panting lightly, but looked happier than before. "Thank you, Artie," he whispered between breaths.

"Of course," Arthur murmured back with a small smile, stroking the other's cheek with a thumb. "Come, now, I'll be back soon."

"I know," Alfred told him, huffing softly. "I just still don't want you to go."

"I know," Arthur said gently. "I've got to, though."

The merman pouted. "I know... Come back to me quick though?"

"Of course," Arthur breathed, giving Alfred another peck on the lips.

"Ah!" Smiling at the kiss, Alfred quickly gave one back before moving away, taking the shirt off, and slipping into the water with barely a ripple. "See you then, Artie!" he called from the water. "Hurry back to me!"

After checking his long-neglected emails, Arthur set to adjusting the suit for Alfred - making the middle smaller, raising the sleeves, shaping it to a nicer fit. Luckily, the shirt fit almost perfectly, but he still had to tighten the collar a little. All he had left to do was pick out a good tie for Alfred, and while he would usually choose a plain tie for himself, he ended up with his more special tie (not that he was actively trying to impress Alfred in the slightest). So in his own fitted suit and his tie - black at first glance, but with a green sheen - he headed back to the pool room to get Alfred ready, with about an hour to spare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is gonna show some of the more...highly rated stuff.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, there's gonna be some more mature stuff in this chapter. Not full on, but close.

When the door opened, Alfred glanced up eagerly. "Hey Art- Oh..." His eyes widened a bit at Arthur's appearance, and he thought he felt something in his slit twitch. If Arthur looked amazing usually, now he was simply stunning. And hot. Definitely hot. Swallowing, Alfred slowly made his way to the edge of the pool, eyes not leaving Arthur's figure.

"Oh?" Arthur raised a brow in question as he crouched by the pool, looking at Alfred.

Alfred swallowed as Arthur's crotch and thighs and butt were nicely emphasized by his new position, and his pupils dilated ever so slightly. "O-Oh," he repeated, voice low.

Arthur noticed the other's gaze and, not being a dense fellow, allowed a slight smirk to play at his lips."Hm? What is it?" he asked in a murmur, leaning a little closer.

The merman trembled with want. He longed to reach out and touch that crotch, but he had to restrain himself. That didn't stop him from staring at it, and the curve of Arthur's ass, though. "N-Nothing," he choked out.

"Well it doesn't seem like nothing," Arthur chuckled.

And then Alfred realized that Arthur  _knew_. "Oh, you're mean," he murmured, dragging his gaze up to Arthur's face.

"Me?" Arthur blinked, eyes widening innocently, but he couldn't stop the shit-eating smirk from spreading across his face. "How am  _I_  mean?"

"Because you know what you're doing to me!" Alfred cried, huffing. "I should push you into the damn water..."

"And make me dripping wet, right before dinner?" Arthur sighed pitifully. "And you're calling me mean..."

"That's why I'm not gonna!" Alfred said miserably. "But you are mean!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Arthur replied with a grin, leaning his chin on his hand. "Come on, then, let's get you dressed?"

"Yes you do, you meanie!" Alfred cried, then huffed. "And you gotta wash the salt off first, remember?"

Arthur simply chuckled, tilting his head a little. "Right, right. Well either way you need to come up here, hm?"

"Fine." And Alfred hauled himself out, complaining about how mean and cruel Arthur was the entire time.

"Come now, I'm not that cruel. I even prepared a suit for you, hm?" Arthur commented, grabbing the sponge that he brought.

"You are! Showing that nice crotch to me when I can't touch it..." Alfred muttered viciously, spreading himself out on the floor. "So mean..."

"Mm, well it's your own fault for looking," Arthur mumbled teasingly, wetting the sponge and leaning over Alfred to murmur in his ear. "If you're good, then  _maybe_  you can touch it, hm?" he said quietly, running the damp sponge along Alfred's shoulders.

The breath whistled out of him in a shudder, and Alfred arched into the touch. "What- What qualifies as 'good'?" he asked, trying not to let too much longing and desire into his voice.

Letting the water trickle down Alfred's chest and back, Arthur let out a small huff. "Not calling me 'mean', for starters."

"No, no!" Alfred immediately waved his hands around. "Arthur's the best boyfriend in the whole world!"

"Heh, am I now?"

"Yeah, you are! And with such a nice body..." Alfred slowly reached out to Arthur's crotch, but stopped short of actual contact since his hand was still wet.

"Now, now," Arthur said, raising a brow and taking the hand in his own with a small smirk. "That's naughty. Hm... Is it really that nice?"

"It's not naughty!" Alfred laced their fingers together and gave Arthur's hand a little squeeze. "And yeah, it really is!"

"Heh... But you know, compared to mine, yours is much more," Arthur replied, eyes dropping to Alfred's chest as he ran the sponge over it.

"But I like your body," Alfred told him. "I just got bigger muscles. You have a nice figure and everything!"

"Mm, but you do too."

"No, no!" The merman quickly shook his head. "You're prettier!"

"Prettier?" Arthur raised a brow.

"Yeah! You're gorgeous, Arthur!"

Arthur huffed softly. "I already told you, you're more so."

"But no!" Alfred huffed right back at him.

"Well you are, there's no use denying it," Arthur said simply. "Now come on, I need to finish washing you."

"I will deny it! I'll deny it forever!" The merman declared, but moved back into position so Arthur could wash him more.

"Well then you'll be wrong," Arthur huffed, wiping across the other's back.

Even though Alfred still didn't agree, he didn't pursue the argument further. He'd just think that way in his mind, then. When Arthur was finished washing all of the salt off of him - it felt odd, not having it, but also nice - he was dressed again. "How do I look?"

After tightening Alfred's tie and brushing down the front of his jacket, Arthur sat back and admired his work. "...Very handsome," he replied with a soft, loving smile, hands at Alfred's sides.

"I know you are!" Alfred replied cheekily, though in the next moment he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Arthur's nose in thanks.

"You know I meant you," Arthur huffed, wrinkling his nose a little at the kiss.

"I know. But you look really handsome too!" Alfred returned the loving smile and pressed their foreheads together.

"Hmph. But thank you," Arthur murmured softly, looking up at Alfred.

"Of course." Alfred smiled more, raising his hands to cup Arthur's cheeks.

His own smile growing a bit, Arthur leaned into it.

"Hi there, cutie," Alfred whispered to him, delighted at Arthur's moving closer.

"Wh- A-Alfred..." Arthur mumbled shyly, flushing slightly.

"What? You are a cutie!" Alfred's smile grew.

"I-I- you don't need to call me it," the Brit said quietly, a little flustered.

"But I can if I want to, right?" Alfred asked softly.

"Wh- I mean... y-yes, of course, if you want to."

Immediately, Alfred smiled. "Then I will! I wanna do it!"

"I-I- Fine," Arthur said with a huff.

"Heh, cutie! Cutie!" Alfred chirped, turning his head to rub his cheek against Arthur's.

"A-Ah..." Arthur blinked in surprise, leaning into it a tiny bit.

"So you guys are really gonna eat in here? You'd do that for me?" Alfred asked once he'd pulled away.

"Mm, well I don't see why we shouldn't." Arthur smiled at the merman. "You're invited to the dinner, anyway. It'd be rude to not facilitate it."

"Fass- Faciliwhat it?" Alfred's brow furrowed.

Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "Seeing as you're invited, we have to make it possible for you to actually attend."

"Oh! Yeah, I guess that makes sense!"

"Exactly. So, I should probably actually get ready for that..."

"Ah, okay! I should probably keep my upper half out of the water, right?"

"Yes, that'd be preferable," Arthur said with a smile. "There's only half an hour left, anyway - though they'll probably be late - so it's okay, right?"

"Yeah, no worries!" Alfred nodded and stuck his tail fin into the water.

"Okay. Then I'll sort this place out a little - I'll be popping in and out, all right?"

"Okay! I'll be waiting here for you, Artie!" The merman waved to him and then lay down, closing his eyes.

And so began the hustle and bustle of Arthur's preparations. He started by cleaning the pool room as best as possible, then set out lamps in strategic places so the room would be neither too dark nor too stark and bright. Then, he flitted in and out of the room, bringing in small coffee tables from the other rooms - luckily, they were all of the same design, so had the same shape - and he laid them out on top of a plush rug to make one long but low table. It was the perfect height for them to sit at, and still have Alfred able to join them by the pool. Of course, it would be uncomfortable just sitting on the floor, so the Englishman brought in a selection of comfortable cushions and beanbags for them all to sit on, and lay out another thin carpet from the door to the table. All that was left were the finishing touches - decorations here and there, and of course, the candles and silverware for the table.

When he was done, Arthur stood back and, with a proud huff, inspected his work. He'd hosted many a dinner party before, but never had come up with the challenge of making the  _pool room_  cozy and lush enough to hold one. He felt he'd succeeded.

Alfred was half watching him the whole time, and when he heard the final huff he sat up and took a look. "Whoa..." The area of the pool room that housed the table didn't resemble a pool room at all, but some fancy plush room that just happened to have a low table. "You did really well, Arthur!"

"You think so?" Arthur asked, grinning proudly (and a little excitedly).

"I really do!" Alfred nodded enthusiastically. "This party's gonna be awesome!"

"Ah, well I'm glad you think so..." Arthur replied, moving behind the table to the pool. "And you should be able to sit right here and still have your tail in the water! Ah - I wasn't sure if you'd want cushions or not..."

"Hmm..." Alfred wriggled around a bit to test it out and then shook his head. "I'll be fine just like this, Artie! Don't worry!" When the Brit came into reach, the merman leaned forward and hugged his legs.

Arthur blinked and then chuckled softly. "All right, that's good."

"It is!" Alfred agreed, rubbing his cheek all over the fabric of Arthur's pants. At the same time, his hands discreetly started travelling upwards.

Raising a brow slightly at the movement, Arthur reached a hand down to ruffle the other's hair, a small smile on his face.

"Mmm..." Purring softly at the feeling, Alfred rubbed more even while his hand continued its little venture towards Arthur's crotch.

"Now where's that hand headed to, hm?" Arthur murmured.

Said hand froze. "N-Nowhere..." Alfred replied quickly.

"Oh? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!" Alfred gave him a winning smile as his hand crawled up another inch before stopping again.

"Well it seems like it's going  _somewhere_ ," Arthur replied with a small grin of his own.

"It is not!"

"Hm? All right then," the Brit said slowly, disbelieving.

"Yup! It's definitely not going anywhere!" The hand moved a tiny bit again.

A small smirk tugged at Arthur's lips, and he glanced down at Alfred. "Are you doing this just to tease me now, hm?"

"Doing what?" The merman's face was innocent.

"Oh, you know what. They'll be here any minute, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." A small smile spread over Alfred's face. "Just a taste now?"

"A taste?" Arthur chuckled softly, cocking a brow gently.

"Yeah! A lil taste of it before they come! Then I'll be a good boy!"

Sighing softly as he looked down at Alfred, Arthur felt his hands tighten in anticipation, and ran a hand through the merman's hair. Goddamnit, this wasn't a good idea, but... "Mm, all right, then. But you'd better be  _very_  good afterwards."

"I promise!" Alfred's eyes glinted with his promise. "I'll be extra super good!"

"Heh." Arthur smirked slightly. "...Go on, then."

Alfred's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

"I already said, didn't I?" Arthur said with a small laugh - honestly, did the merman not even realize he was practically begging for Arthur's cock?!

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, Alfred's arms unwound from around Arthur's legs and instead he focused on unzipping the man's pants.

Arthur looked down at him, letting out a soft breath as his hand absent-mindedly stroked the other's hair.

Alfred successfully got Arthur's pants open and pulled down his underwear a bit, hands moving deftly to take out Arthur's cock. He gasped softly when he saw it and stared at it for a while. "Artie..." he whispered, then leaned forward and nuzzled against it.

"Mm..." Arthur shivered slightly, letting out a breathy chuckle. "Wh-What is it?"

"It's pretty," Alfred murmured, breathing in Arthur's musk and burying his nose further against the shaft. He shifted, moving forward more and pressing closer to the base of it. His tongue flicked out for a cautionary, tiny lick.

"Heh, pre- pretty-?" Arthur let a small groan slip out as he felt his cock twitch, and he leant very slightly into the other.

"Ah-!" Alfred's eyes widened slightly as the cock was thrust a bit more in his face, but he took it in stride and licked more. "Yeah! It's much nicer than the ones in the porn!"

"Nn... Well, that's good, then," Arthur replied, voice slightly strained from the pleasure.

"Yes!" Alfred leaned back again and eyed the tip of the cock. Noticing a drop of...something (the porn never specified about what the fluids were called) beading at the slit, he gently licked it off.

Arthur shuddered, letting out a gasp as his eyes slipped shut for a moment and his grip in Alfred's hair tightened.

Looking up past the cock, Alfred smiled. "You like this, Artie?"

"Mm, I do." Arthur tipped his head. "How about you?"

"It's nice, yeah!" Alfred gave the tip another lick. "It smells pretty nice and tastes all right!"

"Smells-?" Another shiver went down Arthur's spine, and he chuckled. "Well, it's good that you think so. But you've had your 'little taste' now, hm?"

Alfred was tempted to protest, but he had agreed. So he nodded, but before withdrawing his head he placed his lips around the cock tip and gave a nice suck. Then he drew back.

Shit, well that blew Arthur's plan to stop before he started to get hard. At least it wasn't fully up, so he  _should_  be able to hide it, and it  _should_  go down quite quickly. Hopefully. "...G-Good boy," he replied with a slight smile, fixing up his appearance again.

"Really?" Alfred asked happily, tilting his head. "I was a good boy then? I'm glad!" He smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Arthur's legs again. This time though, his hand was perfectly content to stay right where it was. For now.

"Heh, yes, yes," Arthur chuckled, ruffling the other's hair gently.

The merman leaned into the touch, smiling more broadly. "So I can do that more later?"

Grinning slightly, Arthur tilted his head. "Mm, I think you can, yes."

"You think?" Alfred pouted softly.

"Heh, all right, all right, you can."

"Thank you, Artie!" Alfred kissed up his leg.

"Of course. Now come on, they'll be here soon."

"Okay, I'm ready for them!" Alfred declared.

Which was just as well, because then there was a knock at the door, making Arthur jump slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who interrupted their happy time (again)...


	19. Chapter 19

"Well, I'll be back in a moment, then," he said bending down to give Alfred a quick kiss.

"Okay, see you in a bit!"

Smiling gently, Arthur headed off to open the door to Matthew, Gilbert, and Fritz.

"Hello, Arthur," Matthew said with a smile.

"Sup, Artie?" Gilbert grinned at him. "Finally ready to start?"

"Of course I'm ready," Arthur said, frowning slightly as he nodded his greetings. "We've been waiting on you."

The German simply continued smiling. "Sure, Kirkland."

"Well we have," Arthur huffed, opening the door so the others could step in and leading them forwards. "This way, then."

Chuckling, Gilbert stepped in. "So where are we eating?"

"Ah, the pool room, of course."

"Awesome. So on the floor or...?"

"Um..." Arthur tilted his head slightly in thought as he walked. "Well, you'll see," he said as he opened the door.

Gilbert's mouth might have dropped open. He regained control of his face a moment later and composed it, though he did allow an eyebrow to arch elegantly. "You set this up?"

Even Fritz' eyes widened and he tugged at Gilbert's sleeve excitedly as Arthur nodded.

"Of course," the Brit replied, looking at Gilbert curiously.

Gilbert leaned down and hefted the boy onto his shoulders. "You like?"

Nodding, Fritz carefully wrapped his arms around his father's neck. "I do," he said, watching Arthur finish sorting the table out for them to sit at.

"That's good, boy." Gilbert grinned and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"Come on, then," Arthur called a few moments later, waving the others over.

"This is all very nice, Arthur," Matthew commented as he took his seat on the cushions, then nodded to Alfred. "Hello, Alfred."

"Hi Mattie!" Alfred chirped, shuffling closer to the man to shake his hand.

"Nice to see you again," the Canadian replied, happily returning the gesture. "Congratulations with Arthur."

"Thanks!" Alfred looked very pleased with himself indeed.

"Heh. Do you need any help dishing food up?" Arthur asked with a small smile.

"Nah, we're good," Gilbert cut in, loading both his and Fritz's plates.

Alfred though handed his plate over. "Yes please!"

"Right," Arthur said, starting on filling Alfred's plate.

"Put lots of the meat, please!"

Rolling his eyes, Arthur sighed and added more of the meat. "Of course," he mumbled.

"What's wrong with that?" Alfred huffed.

"Nothing, nothing," Arthur replied, handing over the plate. "There you go."

"Thank you Artie! You're the best in the world!" Alfred cried as he accepted the food.

Gilbert snickered. "The best at what?"

"Shut it, Gilbert," Arthur huffed.

"Oh?" The German's smirk was utterly wicked. "So compared to all the action you saw in the videos-"

"I said  _shut it_ ," Arthur growled, as Matthew shot him a sympathetic (but still amused) look.

Alfred, however, completely ignored him. "Well I haven't seen any yet but his co-"

Arthur's head quickly hit the table, and his hand flew to cover the merman's mouth. "Alfred, you really have no delicacy," he muttered into the tablecloth, turning red at the surrounding laughter.

"Is nice!" The merman continued even with the hand, and only once he'd finished did he lean back and look proud of himself.

"Well, Arthur," Gilbert was practically pissing himself. "You've certainly gotten yourself a nice catch." And then he laughed even more when he realized his words in relation to Alfred.

Arthur groaned, head in his hands. "Oh for God's sake..."

Alfred placed his arms around Arthur's shoulders and leaned in to soothingly kiss his hair. "Artie..."

"What?" Arthur mumbled, cracking an eye open to peer at Alfred.

"It's okay." Alfred offered him a hopeful smile.

Arthur huffed softly, sitting up straighter. "Yes, yes, I know."

"A-And I'm still a good boy?" the merman asked hopefully.

Gilbert almost choked on his drink. "That's what you promised him?" He howled with mirth again.

"Oh for- I didn't-!" Arthur sighed, gritting his teeth. "Yes, Alfred... It's  _this_  idiot that's the problem," he said, jabbing his thumb at the German.

"Oh hush, Kirkland." Gilbert pretended to wipe tears from his eyes. "You know you love me."

Arthur huffed, finally dishing himself some food. "You wish, Beilschmidt."

"Nah, I know." Gilbert smiled and grabbed Matthew's hand in his own and squeezed softly.

Only raising his eyebrows slightly in surprise, Matthew soon smiled softly himself and squeezed back.

Fritz, meanwhile, was shifting impatiently and watching the food.

Alfred looked at the boy and dragged his body closer. "Hey, Fritz," he said softly, but still cheerfully.

Looking up, Fritz blinked and smiled gently, still ever-so-slightly nervous from what happened last time. "Ah, hello."

"So how are you liking it so far?" Alfred nodded to the plate. "The food you guys brought looks really good!" he said brightly, shifting his own untouched plate closer as well.

"Mm, it's okay. And yeah,  _papa_  and  _vati_  make really good food!"

"Heh, do they? I can't wait to try!" The merman glanced around the table. "I think we can eat..."

"Oh, um..." Fritz shifted a little closer to Gilbert, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention.

Breaking off his banter with Arthur, Gilbert looked down at the boy. "Hmm?" he asked gently.

"When can we eat,  _vati_?" The little boy asked quietly, shy of Arthur hearing him being so impatient.

Gilbert leaned over and pressed a kiss to his hair. "You can eat whenever you want."

"Ah, okay!" Fritz said, turning back to the merman with a triumphant grin that earned a small chuckle from Arthur.

"Let's eat, then!" Alfred grinned back at him and picked up his fork.

"Yeah!" Fritz nodded, starting to eat himself.

Alfred dug in happily, and turned his attention to Arthur for a moment. He blew the Brit a kiss and grinned.

Catching it just in time, Arthur blinked and flushed gently, quickly covering it up by shoving his next forkful into his mouth.

"Aww, Artie!" Alfred huffed and pouted at the human.

"Wh-What?" Arthur asked, looking at Alfred.

Alfred only blew him another kiss.

"I- w-what do you want?"

"Just wanted to blow you a kiss!"

"Ah..." Flushing even more, Arthur shifted a little. "...All- All right," he murmured.

Smiling softly to himself, Alfred turned back to his food. Within minutes it was gone and he sprawled back, belly up.

Arthur raised a brow, but chuckled a little. "Alfred, come on, sit up," he softly reprimanded.

"But I'm full!" Alfred moaned.

"You can lay down later; we're still at the table."

"Okay..." Alfred got up and rested his forearms on the table.

Arthur eyed him carefully, but then gave a soft, satisfied huff and smiled a little, making Matthew chuckle and share a knowing look with the Brit.

"Don't share mean looks!" Alfred huffed at them.

Arthur rolled his eyes, grinning slightly. "What mean looks?"

"The one you just gave Mattie!"

Smiling into his food, Matthew watched the two from over his glasses.

"-not mean! We were just looking at each other!"

"So you'd rather look at him than me?" Alfred pouted overexaggeratedly.

"Wha- n-no, I didn't say that at all!"

"But you were looking at him!"

"I- That doesn't mean I prefer looking at Matthew to you!" Arthur said with a huff.

The Canadian, meanwhile, was trying not to laugh too hard as he at, throwing a sidelong glance at Gilbert.

"Oh I wouldn't say that." Gilbert drawled, winking at his husband. "I mean all Mattie talks about is how  _hot_  Artie here is..."

"Wh-" Alfred's eyes widened.

Both Matthew and Arthur almost spit their food out at this, although for entirely different reasons. "Wha- Oh God, Alfred, don't listen to him-"

But Gilbert grinned. "Just kidding.  _Gott_ , relax."

"I know that," Arthur groaned, then added for good measure, "Git."

"You too, Kirkland."

"Oh, shut it," Arthur grumbled,  _fondly_  stabbing the food on his plate with a fork and shoveling it into his mouth.

"Nah, then you'd be bored."

"Or relieved..." Arthur raised a brow.

"Naaaah, you'd definitely be bored."

Ignoring the urge to fling a forkful of hot meat in the German's face (a feat Arthur was quite proud of), the Brit satisfied himself with "You're an idiot."

"And you're a prick."

"Wha-" Arthur blinked, taken aback. "You can't say that!" he said, eyeing Fritz warily.

Gilbert turned to his son. "Don't go repeating that."

Rolling his eyes, Matthew smiled at the sputtering Arthur. "Yes, this is common."

"And Fritz is a good boy and knows what's good and bad, right Fritz?" Gilbert grinned at the boy.

Fritz responded eagerly with a proud nod.

"Heh, see Kirkland?" Gilbert looked proud as well. "My kid knows what's up."

Arthur huffed, but decided not to comment. It wasn't his choice how other people should parent their children, after all.

Satisfied, Gilbert gave Fritz a sagely nod and returned to his food.

Soon, they were done with dinner, and Arthur sat back a little to let his food go down, sipping at his drink as he did so.

When that happened, Alfred saw his chance. He slithered over to the Brit and carefully lay his head down on Arthur's lap.

Arthur blinked and looked down, and for a moment forgot about the other people in the room. "Oh? What is it, hm?" he murmured, a hand falling down to gently stroke the side of Alfred's head as a soft smile crossed his face.

"Hi, Artie." Alfred leaned into the hand and smiled up at him. "I just wanted to be nearer to you."

A small, warm chuckle came from Arthur's lips and he tilted his head a little, drawn in and overcome by that smile. "Heh. You silly thing..."

"But I'm your silly thing!" Alfred declared softly.

Arthur couldn't stop his face melting into a fond smile at that. "...That you are."

"Yes!" Alfred was happy that Arthur was smiling, and even more happy that it was that kind of smile that Alfred had put there. "I'll be as silly as you want!"

"You already are." Arthur's smile grew. "Just right."

"Really?" Alfred's own face brightened. "You think so?"

"Of course I do," Arthur chuckled.

"Well I'm glad!" Alfred declared.

Arthur was about to lean down to kiss the man when he was brought back to reality by a cleared throat, and as he looked up and remembered where he was, his face heated up.

The merman huffed though, not about to let his prize get away from him, and pulled Arthur's head down for a kiss.

Blushing even more if possible, Arthur's eyes widened, and he froze in place in his surprise.

Huffing into the kiss, Alfred opened his mouth.

"Mm..." After a few moments, Arthur slipped, relaxing into it and kissing back a little.

Happy now that Arthur was kissing him, Alfred pressed forward enthusiastically. Arthur's eyes slid shut and he leant into it, trying to match Alfred's pace. But Alfred slowed again then, and a moment later withdrew completely. "Artie..." he whispered, staring happily at the Brit's face.

"What?" Arthur mumbled, looking back with flushed cheeks.

"Hi there." There was more Alfred wanted to say, so much more, but he knew that Arthur wouldn't be comfortable with Gilbert and Matthew and Fritz there too. So he settled on that.

"...Hey," Arthur murmured back, looking at the other a few more moments before going to sit back up again.

"Wait!" Alfred quickly grabbed onto his chin and kept him down. "Don't go up just yet!"

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur blinked at the other. "Wh-What is it?"

"Just stay here a bit longer!" Alfred pleaded.

"I- y-you know we're in the middle of a dinner, right?" Arthur mumbled, though he didn't mind too much.

"So? It's not that formal..."

Arthur glanced in the general direction of the others for a second before looking back at Alfred. "...All right," he murmured with a small sigh. "But just a little, yes? You're already 'having your way with me' after the dinner..."

"Yes, yes!" Alfred nodded enthusiastically.

"Hmph. Okay then," the Brit agreed.

"Come back down..." Alfred stretched his hands up towards Arthur's face.

"Right, right," Arthur chuckled, leaning back down a little.

Purring happily, Alfred pressed another kiss to the Brit's face.

"Ah..." Arthur smiled softly, leaning into it.

"Artie, Artie..." Alfred whispered as he kissed his lover more. "I wanna kiss you forever.

Flushing gently, Arthur smiled more shyly and gave a small chuckle. "Well you'll be able to, you know..."

"I know. And I'm so happy..."

"Really?" Arthur's eyes flicked to Alfred's, looking at Alfred under his lashes.

"Yes!" Alfred nodded reverently.

"...Well that's good then."

"I know it is!" The merman shuffled even closer to him.

Arthur blinked and tilted his head. "Hm? What is it?"

"How much longer will the dinner be?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure... It depends whether they brought pudding or not, I suppose."

"Oh." Alfred turned to Matthew. "Did you bring pudding?"

Breaking off his small talk with Gilbert, Matthew blinked, then gave an apologetic smile. "Oh, no... We weren't sure if you wanted any, sorry..."

"That's good, then!" Alfred shook it off.

"Oh?" The Canadian's smile twitched up a little. "Good?"

"Yeah, good!"

"Why good?"

"Just is..." Alfred blushed.

Matthew inspected the other for a few moments, then gave a small chuckle. "All. Right, I see."

"S-See what?"

"Could it be you don't like puddings?" Matthew leant forwards slightly. "Or is it maybe something else?"

"N-No, I do! I like it a lot!"

"So something else, then?"

"U-Um, no!" Alfred was getting redder by the second.

"Hmm... All right," Matthew said with a slight smirk.

"What?" Alfred pouted. "How come you're so mean now?"

"How am I?"

"By- By insinuating things!"

It was then that Arthur coughed into his drink, and this only made Matthew want to probe further. "Heh, well you're the one who's acting guilty about something."

"I am not!" Alfred insisted.

"Okay, okay," the Canadian apologetically replied, chuckling a little to himself.

"Good!" Glad that that topic of conversation was done with, Alfred relaxed into Arthur again.

"Soooooo..." Gilbert suddenly leaned forward. "What exactly are you guys gonna do later?"

"Wha-" Arthur sputtered, turning red. "Nothing!"

"Oh really?" Gilbert's eyes narrowed. "Then what was the whole deal with the 'good boy'?"

"Th-There wasn't one!" Arthur quickly replied. "I-I just wanted him to behave and wear the suit."

"Ooh, so you could do what later?"

"What?! No, I- there wasn't any other reason!"

"Eheh, all right." Gilbert dropped the matter, but the smirk was still on his face.

Fidgeting, Arthur managed for a few seconds before bursting out, "There wasn't!"

"If there wasn't," Gilbert asked very calmly. "Then why are you still insisting about it?"

"Ah-" Arthur froze in place. "Be-Because that stupid smirk on your face says you don't believe me!"

"Oh  _sure_ , that's why." Gilbert snickered, a calculating look in his eyes.

"Well, yes! D-Don't look so smug!"

"Me? Smug?" Gilbert's eyes widened. "Who would have thought?"

"You-" Arthur huffed and leaned over the table a little to give the German a semi-playful hit on the shoulder. "Hmph."

"Aww, Artie." Said German just laughed. But he let the topic go. "Nah, but since we're here celebrating you two idiots' getting together, how did it happen?"

"Wh..." Arthur blinked and sat back, glancing furtively over at Alfred. "A-Ah, well..."

Alfred only smiled. "You tell it, Artie." He reached a supportive hand across the table and grasped the Brit's.

"All- All right," Arthur murmured, smiling slightly back and taking a small breath. "Well- uh- I'd noticed that I was somewhat-" He cleared his throat here. "Um, conscious of Alfred a few weeks ago. But, you know, I thought that was just- most people would be conscious of an attractive half-naked man, right?" he said quickly, hoping to cover it up. "Anyway - about a week ago, a guy at the café asked me out. And, well, if I went on a date with him and was conscious of him then it would prove that I didn't feel anything special in that sense for Alfred, right...? But... Yeah. It didn't work. So when I came home and Alfred was acting strange, and then it turned out he was jealous- well. He kissed me. Then swam off. S-So I followed and kissed him properly and we told each other how we felt and now..."

"And now Artie's mine!" Alfred declared proudly, lifting Arthur's hand up and pressing it against his cheek. He looked to Matthew and Gilbert and Fritz for their reactions.

Fritz was watching intently with his chin on his hands, a soft, glad smile on his face to match his  _papa_ 's.

"That's really great," the Canadian said with a gentle chortle.

"Heh, a fitting dorky story for two dorks," Gilbert commented, but he too looked happy for them.

"S-Shush," Arthur said, as Matthew elbowed his husband gently.

"We weren't much better, Gil," he said with a smile.

Alfred looked interested and turned to Matthew. "How did you two get together?"

"Heh, it took about half a year for this guy to work up the courage to even ask me on a date," Matthew said, shooting a grin at the merman. "So he's not as cool as he pretends to think. Although that was probably partly because of  _papa_  - Francis - he's one of Gil's best friends, despite their age difference, and can also be, eh, very protective of me. But in the end, I think Gil talked to him about it and  _papa_  was more than happy, so a while later he asked me out. On  _Valentine's Day_. With  _roses_." Leaning back with a satisfied smile, Matthew raised a brow at Gilbert. "So I don't really think you can call  _them_  dorks."

"W-Well they're still bigger dorks!" Gilbert huffed, leaning in to press a kiss to Matthew's cheek. "And excuse you I am so cool!"

"Heh, yes, yes." Matthew turned his head, giving Gilbert a quick peck on the lips in return. " _So_  cool."

Arthur, however, had his brows raised in disbelief. " _You_  asked him out on Valentine's, with roses?"

The German huffed more and slung an arm around Matthew's shoulders. He turned his crimson gaze on Arthur again. "Yeah, I did. I can be romantic."

"Wow. ...I can barely imagine that."

"Well good thing we're not married then." Gilbert turned to Matthew again. "...I  _can_  be, right?" he asked lowly.

Matthew gave a soft little chuckle, fondly looking up at Gilbert. "Yes, Gil, you can," he replied gently.

Gilbert looked relieved, though that emotion only stayed on his face for a brief moment before it was gone. "Of course I am. Pfft, I knew that, hah!" He did, however, give Matthew's shoulder a thankful squeeze.

"Of course," Matthew said, pressing a kiss to the hand on his shoulder before turning a sly smile to the German. "You know what would be really romantic?"

"...What?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow.

Matthew leaned forwards to murmur in his ear, ignoring the eyeroll he got from Arthur. "If, when we got home and put Fritz to bed, you made love to me before we got to sleep."

Gilbert froze, and then a small smile spread over his face. "I like that idea, yeah." Matthew never failed to pleasantly surprise him.

Pulling away with a soft smile himself, Matthew chuckled. "Then it's settled."

Arthur cleared his throat out at this point, raising a brow. "What is, exactly?"

"Oh, nothing." Gilbert smiled. "Just some future plans."

"Hm. Of course."

Alfred looked at them and grinned. "Well I hope you guys have a good time, whatever you plan to do!"

Arthur gave a slight exasperated sigh at Alfred's apparent innocence. "Alfred..."

"What?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. "We'll be having a good time so I hope they do too!"

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again and groaned quietly. "Right..."

"Heh, yeah!" Alfred turned to face the table again and fidgeted, waiting for the dinner to be officially over.

Gilbert was also sitting and fidgeting, and soon Matthew's suggestion grew to be too much. He well knew the looks he would receive, but damnit. "So, it's getting late..."

Arthur raised his brows a little, but otherwise didn't comment, instead agreeing. "Ah, of course. Are you wanting to be heading off soon?"

"Yeah, I think Fritz here is about ready for bed." Smiling softly, Gilbert leaned over and gently heaved the boy onto his lap.

"Ah..." Stirring a little and blinking up at his dad sleepily, Fritz then snuggled back into him.

Arthur chuckled slightly. "Heh, all right, then," he replied.

"Wanna go to sleep, then?" Gilbert whispered to him as he stood.

"M'not tired..." Fritz mumbled stubbornly, despite his eyes drooping shut.

"Sure you're not, soldier." Gilbert pressed a kiss to his hair and shifted the boy so he could reach down a hand to Alfred. "Congrats, Al."

"Thanks, Gilbert!" Alfred shook it happily and then drew back.

The German, with a nod, turned to Arthur. " _This_  time, remember to use a condom," he said with a grin.

Arthur sputtered, face once more becoming red at the words of the German, and scowled. "Wh-what the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

Chuckling to himself, Matthew held a hand out to the merman too. "See you soon, you two, and congratulations again. Have a good night, eh?"

Alfred shook it and nodded over Gilbert's snickers. "See you soon!" he called as the trio made their way to the door.

Arthur hurried after them to open the door and see them out, wishing them a goodnight along the way. When he shut the door, he let out a sigh and headed back to where Alfred was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gon' be sex next chapter-


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mature stuff happens here~

Alfred was waiting for him, laid out next to the pool with a glint in his eye.

"...What is it?" Arthur asked, raising a brow as he sat next to the merman.

"Soooo, it's after the dinner." Alfred's mouth slowly stretched up into a smile. "Right?" He dragged his eyes up and down Arthur's body, and his pupils dilated. Finally, they were alone. And heh, Arthur still had an erection. Good.

After a moment, Arthur smirked slightly himself in understanding. "Well, yes."

"And so now I can have my way with you, right?" Alfred prodded, shifting closer and opening his mouth a tiny bit to reveal a hint of sharp teeth.

Arthur's eyes flitted down to those teeth and he imagined them dragging down his body - shit. Gulping slightly, Arthur reasserted his grin and glanced back up at Alfred's eyes. Maybe he should tease the other a little. "...Perhaps."

That gave Alfred pause, and he didn't like that pause. "...Perhaps?"

"Mm..." Arthur leant closer to the other, still smirking a little. " _Perhaps_  you can have your way with me," he purred.

The merman blinked, slightly disoriented at Arthur's sudden opposition, but then his eyes narrowed as he decided that he wasn't going to have any of it. "And what's gonna stop me?" He brought his face up close to Arthur's and bared his teeth a bit more.

"U-Uhh..." Arthur's breath shivered out as he dragged his emerald gaze up from the merman's mouth. "Who knows? Maybe I will."

That mouth twisted into a smirk. "I don't think you will," Alfred breathed.

"D- Don't you?"

"No, I don't." Alfred's voice was confident, and he leaned forward even more until their lips were almost touching.

A small breath came from Arthur's lips in the form of a sigh, and the next second he gave in; his eyes slipped shut and he closed the gap.

But Alfred immediately leaned back, grinning openly now. "Ah ah, not so fast."

Stopping dead, Arthur's eyes gently opened to give Alfred a soft, lidded glare.

"What?  _Perhaps_  I'll let you kiss me."

"...You're a git," Arthur muttered.

"And you are mine," Alfred said lowly. His muscles twitched as he tried to restrain himself from tackling Arthur to the floor.

Arthur looked at the other with challenging eyes, licking his lips calculatingly. "...So?"

"So you're  _mine_ ," Alfred repeated, and then let himself go. The next instant Arthur was on the floor, Alfred above him and grinning wildly. His arms were around the Brit's neck, hands protecting Arthur's head from cracking against the floor. The feel of Arthur's body beneath him just spurred his desires on more, and he lowered his head a tiny bit to bring them closer.

Gasping softly, Arthur's eyes widened and met Alfred's, before the Brit relaxed, though his breathing was a little heavier. "...Go on, then," he breathed.

Eyes glinting with desire, Alfred brought his hands up and tore open Arthur's suit jacket. The two black buttons went flying, and Alfred neither knew nor cared where they landed. All he was focused on,  _could_  focus on, was Arthur. Arthur's eyes, his lips, his skin, his  _scent_. God his scent was intoxicating. Alfred felt as though he could get drunk on it. And he had just wrapped his fingers around the collar of Arthur's pristine white shirt, ready to rip it apart without thought to get to the delicious skin, when the door crashed open.

"Whoops, forgot somethi-" Gilbert stood in the doorway, and he paused as he took in the scene.

Starting, Arthur's gaze, wide eyed, flew to the door, and he flushed fiercely, mouth stuttering and unsure what to say. "U-Wh..."

"You know what? I'll just get it tomorrow. You two enjoy yourselves." With a grin, Gilbert stepped back and closed the door after himself.

Arthur, however, was left staring at the door, still trying to get a handle on the situation and form a response.

Alfred, however, by that time had zeroed in on the perfectly delectable flesh of Arthur's neck, and he wasted no time in getting to work. Bending his head, he pressed a searing kiss there before biting down.

Eyes widening even more for a split-second, they then shut tightly as Arthur choked out a gasp, his body arching up into the other as his hands clutched the fabric of his suit tightly. Alfred's teeth sinking into him was more painful than expected, and Arthur tilted his neck more, allowing it, his cock even twitching at the feeling and -  _oh God, I never knew I was a masochist_.

The merman didn't bite down too hard - he didn't want to kill his new lover, after all - but enough to slightly break the skin. He remembered something that he'd seen in the porn and he sucked on the skin between his teeth a bit, curious about Arthur's reaction to it.

"Hnn..." Arthur let out a low whine, one leg coming up in an effort to press himself even closer to the other.

Happily sucking more, Alfred wriggled in between the Brit's legs and gently rutted against him- another move he picked up.

His grip tightening in Alfred's hair, Arthur moaned at the increase in friction, and started automatically moving back against the other. "Nn- Alfred..."

Surprised at the amount of pleasure resulting from the rubbing, Alfred rocked against him more harshly. A moment later he also lifted his face away, pleased that there was a large bruise there, but also a little alarmed at the bit of blood. "I-I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Mmh- God no-" Arthur breathed, finally opening his eyes and looking up from under his lashes at the other, lips parted and wanton already.

"Okay..." Alfred breathed, leaning down to gently lick up the blood. He pressed a kiss to Arthur's jawline and then sat up again, suddenly remembering what exactly he was doing before Gilbert had showed up. The merman's hands moved to Arthur's shirt again and he ripped the clothing off him, the buttons once again sent flying. Alfred's eyes glowed eagerly as he looked upon Arthur's chest.

Arthur shuddered pleasantly, not even caring about the state of the clothes because he had never realized before  _how damn hot_ it was to have your own clothes literally ripped off of you, and his eyes lidded as he watched Alfred's gaze.

But then Alfred had focused on a different target: Arthur's pants, which were obstructing the view of his cock. His hands started going to the fly, but then he had an even better idea. Shimmying off the man, Alfred took the fabric into his teeth, and with a swift pull, it was gone.

Arthur's cock stood proudly between his legs, and Alfred stared at it for a moment. There was more of the pearly white substance gathering at the tip, and the merman then leaned down to gently lap it up. "You like this, right?" he asked softly.

"Ah..." Twitching softly at the feeling, Arthur nodded. "Y-Yes..."

"Good." As Alfred worked on licking and suckling on the cock, his own erection pushed past the opening of his slit and poked into Arthur's leg.

Despite all his efforts in restraining himself and between all his little moans and gasps, Arthur still found the energy to crack his eyes open to glance at the sensation curiously. He was surprised to find Alfred's was similar to a human's, at least in looks - but of course he wasn't complaining. After a moment, he rubbed his leg against it gently.

"Ah!" Alfred paused for a moment, then shifted his tail so his member was rubbing right up against Arthur. His own eyes closed and he continued bobbing up and down on Arthur's cock.

Eyes slipping shut again, Arthur's grip on the back of Alfred's head tightened, and he let out a soft moan as he gave a tiny experimental thrust.

Alfred's breath hitched at the thrust, but he soon overcame his surprise and in retaliation gave a particularly hard suck.

"Mm- A-Al-" Arthur thrust into Alfred's mouth a few more times, but soon held himself back again, feeling it might get too much. "Alfred-"

"Hmm?" Alfred hummed around the flesh in his mouth, opening his eyes to gaze up at Arthur.

"Oh..." the Brit breathed, stuttering a little as his eyes met Alfred's. "O-Oh God, Alfred- s-stop- come- come up-"

Immediately, Alfred raised his head, the cock slipping from his lips with a wet pop. "Wh- What's wrong?" Arthur had said stop, so did that mean Alfred did something wrong?

 _Shit, that was close. I almost came just from that._  Arthur thought as he watched the merman, then shook his head, pulling him closer. "No- nothing. Just- come here."

"Okay..." Alfred looked at Arthur demurely as he moved closer.

Arthur's eyes had already slipped down, meeting his hands as they fiddled with Alfred's buttons, desperate to feel some skin-to-skin contact. Seconds later he'd got it, and he flung the clothes open, his hands and eyes trailing down the chest and stomach he now knew so well before pulling the other down into a fierce kiss, pressing their chests together and groaning softly at the much needed contact.

"Mmmh-" Alfred gasped lowly into it and kissed back for all he was worth (all five million dollars worth), pressing more into Arthur so there was more contact between them.

Deepening the kiss, Arthur's arms gripped Alfred tightly, and he grinded against the merman desperately.

"Heh..." Alfred pulled away, breathless, and smiled. "You want me?"

Not bothering to wait for Arthur's answer and loving the resulting moans of 'Yes!', Alfred kissed down Arthur's neck and chest and stomach to nip ever so softly at Arthur's cock with those nice sharp teeth of his before sticking a finger inside.

"Ngh-" Arthur's back arched, and he clung to whatever hold he could find, clenching his teeth.

"You okay?" Alfred looked up at him with worry but didn't slow his finger's movements- he wanted to be inside of the man, and quickly.

"Nn... Y-Yes, Alfred-" Arthur replied, spreading his legs a little more and pressing into the other a little.

"Okay." Happy with the response, Alfred pressed on. Since his cock was thinner than Arthur's, he felt that two fingers would be enough. He slipped the second one in and scissored him, stretching the muscle for a few moments. "Ready?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Oh, God yes," Arthur groaned, shifting a little - he was just beginning to get impatient.

The fingers quickly retreated and Alfred positioned himself before suddenly remembering something and hesitating. "Do you have uhh...lube?"

"Front table, second drawer," Arthur answered quickly.

"U-Um, could you get it?" Alfred drew back cumbersomely, his tail scraping against the ground.

Oh shit- "Fuck- Yes- sorry-" A little embarrassed, Arthur swiftly stood and rifled through the drawers, grabbing the little bottle and bringing it back to Alfred.

"It's okay!" Alfred looked up at him, a small smile on his face. "C'mere now..." He reached out to his lover.

Arthur smiled back a little as he settled back in position, taking Alfred's proffered hand.

The merman immediately slithered back into position. Grabbing the lube, he slicked his cock up and thrust in, groaning at the nice tightness. Arthur gave a small moan himself, his eyes closing, and he frowned slightly as he adjusted, then pressed himself closer to the other. "Is- Is it okay?" Alfred gave a few tentative thrusts to him, then stopped again to check out Arthur's reaction.

"Nn..." Arthur sighed softly and nodded. "It- It's good, Alfred."

Reassured by that, Alfred picked up a more steady pace. It was nice and slow at first, with the merman trying to get into a comfortable rhythm. His tail made it difficult, of course, and he cursed the fact he couldn't wrap his legs around Arthur's waist or anything like that. After a couple of minutes, though, he started picking up speed.

And Arthur made up for Alfred's lack of leg movement by allowing his own legs to hook around Alfred's tail, small moans slipping from his mouth as he felt the other move inside him.

"Is- Is it ahh! Good?" Alfred panted out, his eyes closed in concentration as he tried to make Arthur feel good as well.

Clinging to Alfred tighter, Arthur started rocking back against Alfred, matching his pace. "Fuck- Alfred- yes-"

"Artie!" Alfred gasped as his cock was buried particularly deep, and he felt the pressure inside of it building. "Arthur, Arthur!" He wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders, braced his back, and sped up even more.

Unrestrained moans falling from Arthur's lips, his legs tightened around Alfred's tail, pulling him closer and deeper, and all of a sudden all the pleasure coursed down his spine and pooled at the base. His eyes flew open, but still all he saw was stars, and he cried out. "Ah- A-Alfred-!"

The hot heat of release over their stomachs drove Alfred over the edge and he spilled deep into the Brit's body with a cry of his own. He kept thrusting though, riding out his orgasm to the end, and only then did he collapse on top of the other. "Artie..."

Trembling softly, Arthur's grip slackened, and he lay there panting, eyes barely open, and even then they soon slipped shut. "Alfred," he murmured back, leaning slightly into him.

"Artie..." Alfred couldn't stop repeating Arthur's name as he curled up around him- while making sure the tip of his tail was in the water. The merman squeezed his lover tightly, barely aware of his cock sliding out as they both drifted off into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if the actual sex bit seems a bit rushed this time- the pacing seems slower when you're writing it out, heh..


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be two more main story chapters!

Arthur woke groggily the next morning, still a little hazy from the night before as he glanced up at Alfred. Watching him for a few moments, Arthur then gave a soft smile and shuffled closer to him, sighing contentedly as he cuddled up to the merman.

Snorting softly, Alfred wrapped his arms more tightly around Arthur's body and snuggled back. He was still asleep, but conscious enough to feel the cuddling.

Arthur chuckled softly and leaned into it, giving Alfred a small squeeze back and burying his nose in the other's skin. He hummed pleasantly as he recalled the previous night, a tingling sensation still lingering on his skin from it.

"Mmm.." Alfred stirred moments later. "Artie?" His eyes fluttered open and he blinked before burying his nose in Arthur's hair.

"Mm, morning," Arthur mumbled back, smile growing as he snuggled into the merman.

"Are you okay?" Alfred kissed his neck. "Was it good?"

Smiling softly, Arthur gave a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine, Alfred. And yes," he murmured, pecking the skin beneath his lips. "It was... Very good."

"I'm glad," Alfred breathed. He shifted and, upon realizing that there was no other movement from below, figured that his cock had slipped back into its slit. "Can... Can we cuddle more?"

"I had no intention of stopping," Arthur said, further tightening his hold on Alfred.

"Ah, well that's good!" Alfred purred happily and squeezed him even tighter.

Chuckling, Arthur agreed and snuggled to the merman, his arms and legs still tangled around him, and sighed happily when settled. "Mm... What about you? Was it... Was it good?"

"Yeah, it was really good!" Alfred told him. He let out his own happy breath and closed his eyes again.

Arthur hid a soft smile in Alfred's skin. "I'm glad..." he murmured.

Soon after that, Alfred finally moved, wincing when the dried mess from last night crackled on their stomachs. "It's uncomfortable," he whined softly.

Arthur blinked, then chuckled gently, stroking Alfred's cheek with his thumb. "Let's clean you up, hm? And then we can get some breakfast," he said quietly.

The merman leaned into the touch and nuzzled him. "Yeah, let's do that..."

"All right." Smiling, Arthur pulled away from Alfred a little to sit up, looking around for the sponge he'd used the day before.

"Aaaaaaa!" Alfred groaned more and flopped to the ground, waiting to be washed.

Laughing a little more, Arthur tilted his head at the other as he searched for the sponge. "What is it, hm?'

"It feels weird!" Alfred repeated. "Aaaaaaa!" Despite the feeling he wriggled, wanting Arthur to laugh like that again.

Arthur softly laughed more, an amused smile crossing his face. "Yes, yes, I have it too you know. I'll clean it, yes?"

"Yeah, clean it, please!" Alfred shuffled closer to him.

"Yes, yes," Arthur said, smiling gently before wetting the sponge and running it over Alfred's stomach.

"Ooh!" Alfred shivered at the touch and leaned into it. "I'll clean you off later!"

"All right," Arthur replied, wiping the spot more and then pressing a kiss to the now-clean skin.

A squeak rose from Alfred's mouth at the kiss, and he smiled. "Do that more!"

Chuckling, Arthur kissed all over Alfred's stomach and chest.

"More!" Alfred cried, wriggling and writhing in pleasure.

"Heh, how demanding," Arthur teased, kissing once more, before an evil glint entered his eye. The next moment, he placed his lips on Alfred's stomach and blew a raspberry.

A surprised wail sounded from Alfred's throat, and he writhed more. His tail whipped through the air and his back arched. "Artieeee!"

Bursting out laughing, Arthur grinned up at the merman cheekily. "Hm?"

"You meanie!" Alfred pouted.

"Heheh, how am I?"

"Because you did that!"

Arthur chuckled a little, then kisses Alfred's stomach once more. "Come and wash mine, then?"

"Fine, I guess I can..." Alfred took up the sponge. "Lay down."

Smiling a little at the other, Arthur lay back, looking up at him.

Dipping the sponge in water, Alfred gently brought it to Arthur's skin and started washing him. His eyes were glued to the pale torso underneath him, and there was a small smile on his face. "Artie..."

Arthur tilted his head and, not wanting to ruin the moment, quietly responded with a questioning hum.

"You're pretty," Alfred murmured to him, seemingly hypnotized by the motions of the sponge on skin.

Arthur blinked softly, almost about to huff - but Alfred was only complimenting him after all, so instead he let a small smile warm to his face. "...You think so?"

"Yeah, I do." Alfred smiled down at him brightly and moved to kiss the abs.

Sighing gently, Arthur's own smile grew, and he stroked the merman's hair, watching him.

Alfred's eyes were glued to Arthur's as he kissed all around the Brit's stomach. "You're so pretty..." he purred, moving his kisses upwards. But then he froze when he saw his bite mark. It wasn't like any of the other 'hickeys' he'd seen- it was angrier, redder, with clear puncture holes for all of his teeth. It looked like it hurt a lot. Alfred suddenly felt ashamed of himself and drew back.

Arthur frowned a little at the distressed look, bringing a hand up to Alfred's cheek. "What is it, love?" he asked quietly.

"I-I'm sorry..." Alfred choked out, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to face Arthur.

"Wha-" Arthur blinked, another hand coming up to cup the merman's face. "Alfred, what are you sorry for?"

"The- The bite! I'm sorry!" Alfred whimpered.

Arthur stared at him for a moment. "A-Alfred- no... You don't need to be sorry for that..."

"But it's too much!" Alfred pulled his face from Arthur's hands and lowered his head. "I'm sorry I hurt you!"

"N-No- no, Alfred, really, you didn't," Arthur replied, eyes widening a little.

"R-Really?" Alfred dared to peek up at him.

"Yes really." Arthur sighed softly, giving a small smile and holding his hands out towards the other's face. "Come here..."

Still a bit hesitant, Alfred slowly brought his head closer. "Yeah?"

Reaching out for it, Arthur once more took Alfred's face in his hands, leaning their foreheads together. "Alfred... It's perfectly all right. I-I actually kind of liked it," he admitted, turning red.

Alfred's mouth slackened with surprise. "You did? You really did? Y-You weren't just sayin' that cuz of what was going on?"

"W-Well- no, if I didn't like it, I would have said," Arthur mumbled, glancing up at Alfred from under his lashes. "A-And besides, this... You've marked me as yours like this, right?"

"Okay, I'm glad..." Alfred sighed in relief. Then, his eyes widened in realization and glee. "Yes! Yes I did mark you! You're mine, now!"

Smiling and chuckling gently, Arthur brought Alfred closer. "Yes I am."

"All mine," Alfred whispered, his eyes bright again with excitement.

"Yours to do as you please with," Arthur breathed back, before pulling Alfred down into a kiss.

"Mm-" Alfred's pleased moan was cut off by the force of the kiss, and he pressed back into it eagerly.

Humming and smiling softly into it, Arthur's fingers carded through Alfred's hair as he kissed him, pulling him as close as they could be.

Breaking the kiss moments later to breathe, Alfred didn't move away. By then he was practically nestled in Arthur's lap, and he didn't mind the spot in the slightest. "My Artie..." he murmured as he ever so gently traced the bite mark.

Arthur shivered slightly at the touch, smiling up at Alfred. "All yours..."

"I'm glad," Alfred repeated, then flung his arms around Arthur and hugged him close.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, then chuckled and wrapped his own arms around the merman. "I'm still not dressed, you know."

"I know that! I don't care!" Alfred snuggled more into him.

"Heh, all right," Arthur mumbled, closing his eyes and squeezing the other gently.

"Yeah!" But soon enough, Alfred moved back. "Now dress and food!" He himself slipped back into the pool, shivering in delight as his upper half got wet again.

"Yes, yes," Arthur said with a chuckle, standing up to search for his discarded boxers. "Is there anything in particular you want?" He asked as he bent down to pick them up.

"...Bacon!"

"Heh, of course. Anything else?"

"Hmm..." Alfred thought for a moment. "Maybe something warm? Like hot chocolate or...that tea or yours?" he asked, tilting his head a bit.

"All right," Arthur replied with a soft smile. "One moment, then."

"See you then, Artie!" Alfred flopped backwards into the water. "I'll be waiting!"

Arthur nodded and was off, soon back with a breakfast tray of food and tea.

Alfred had been hoping for hot chocolate more than tea, but he'd take it. His eyes lit up when he saw the tray, and he moved closer. "Have you got some for yourself?"

"Of course," Arthur responded with a smile, setting the tray down by the pool.

"Okay, that's good. You need sustenance," Alfred said, nodding.

"Heh, yes," Arthur agreed with a chuckle.

"Can I eat, then?" Alfred asked softly.

"Of course you can."

"Thank you, Artie!" Alfred attacked the food again, eagerly biting through the bacon. When he was finished, he rested his head on Arthur's lap. "Artie."

"Hm?' The Brit asked, halfway through his own sandwich.

"Feed me," Alfred demanded, opening his mouth.

"Wh- You've just had yours!" Arthur chuckled.

"Gimmie some more?"

Arthur huffed softly, then shook his head and held out the sandwich to the merman.

"Thank you!" Alfred chirped to him happily before taking two large bites. He swallowed and smacked his lips before speaking again. "So... I guess you gotta go back to work today, right?"

"Mm, yes, I probably should," Arthur reluctantly agreed, sighing.

"Okay. Will you be gone most of the day, then?"

"Yes, until the evening... I'm sorry."

"Hey, no it's fine!" Alfred reached up to stroke his cheek. "I understand..."

Arthur smiled gently, a hand coming up over Alfred's and squeezing a little. "Okay."

"I will wait for you, Artie," Alfred promised with a soft smile.

"All right, I'm glad," Arthur told him, then leaned down and gave him a kiss.

Kissing back eagerly, Alfred smiled at him before flopping back into the pool.

Evening brought with it a massively bored merman. Alfred had played with his fish, watched TV, practiced his writing,  _and_  read. Now he was antsy and slightly horny and very curious about blowjobs. Did they really feel that good? Pity none of Gilbert's porny movies were left.

All those thoughts fled his mind, though, when the door opened. "Arthur!" he cried, wriggling with pleasure. His expression faltered slightly when he saw how tired Arthur seemed, and he reached out for the Brit.

"Heh, hello there," Arthur replied, giving the other a small smile as he headed over to the merman.

"Hi! How was your work?" Alfred asked worriedly.

Arthur sat by the other with a small sigh. "Ah, it was all right. Had a lot to catch up on."

"Oh." The merman frowned and let his hands roam over Arthur's shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"Mm, no, it's fine," Arthur murmured, leaning into it and smiling down at Alfred. "...How about you? How were you?"

"Bored. And...hungry, but not for food." Alfred bit his lip as he explained, hoping that Arthur would get it.

Arthur raised a brow. "...Not for food?"

Alfred's cheeks pinked and he slowly ran his hands down Arthur's chest and stomach. "No..."

Arthur blinked, leaning back a little as a soft "Oh," escaped his lips, which then quirked up into a soft smile. "Alfred... I-I am a little tired, my dear."

"Ah, okay!" Alfred wasn't put off at all. "Can I at least give you a massage?"

"Oh?" Eyebrows raised, Arthur nodded slightly. "That'd be nice, yes."

"Okay then, get on your stomach!" Alfred commanded him cheerfully.

Chuckling softly, Arthur lay forwards, but not before stripping to his suit pants and exposing his back to the merman.

Alfred considered commenting on the fact that Arthur's underwear was peeking out, but decided not to. It was a pretty sight. The merman settled over Arthur's legs and placed his hands on the Brit's back, close to his butt. "Ready?"

"Mm, of course," Arthur murmured, closing his eyes in wait.

And so Alfred started. At first he did just give a simple massage, getting all of the horrible knots out of Arthur's back and happily running his fingers over his lover's skin. He remembered what Arthur had said about being tired, but he couldn't help digging a bit more into the area around Arthur's butt.

Arthur let out small hums and pleased moans all the while, leaning up into the touches slightly.

"You like this?" Alfred leaned over him to whisper the words hotly into Arthur's ear.

Shivering a little, Arthur let out a sigh. "Mm... I-I do..."

"You do?" Eyes brightening with an idea, the merman leaned down and nibbled softly on Arthur's ear. "I'm glad..."

"Nn..." Fist clenching with nothing else to grip onto, the Brit held back a moan, arching very slightly.

Bingo. Nibbling more, Alfred then leaned back, so his breath ghosted behind Arthur's ear. "You like this too?"

Arthur shifted a bit, letting out a low moan. His eyes cracked open, challengingly peering at the merman. "Ah... A-And what if I do?"

Alfred answered him with a wicked smile and more nibbling.

"Hnn- A-Alfred..." Arthur got out, face flushed slightly and unable to stop himself leaning into it.

"Hmm?" Alfred whispered again, eager to see where this would lead.

"Wh-What are you-" And then it all made sense. Turning over underneath Alfred, Arthur tilted his head a little, giving the merman a sly smile of his own. "What do you want, hm?" he queried.

Alfred's look immediately turned to one of innocence. "Why Arthur, I was merely giving you a massage!"

"Oh?" Arthur raised a brow, propping himself up on an elbow. "Well then why don't you massage my front too?" he murmured, inches away from Alfred's lips.

"Y-You want that?" Alfred's eyes flicked from green orbs to plump lips and back.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and Arthur then lay back again, gently tugging at Alfred's shoulder to pull him closer down. "Well I have been hard at work the whole day..."

"O-Oh right! Right yeah! I'll massage you!" Allowing himself to get pulled into a better position, Alfred then gently placed his hands on Arthur's stomach.

"Mm, go on, then," Arthur purred. This would be a treat - payback for earlier.

"Okay," Alfred whispered, and slowly started massaging.

"Mm..." Almost immediately letting out a pleased hum, Arthur leaned up into it, his stomach arching into the touch.

Breath stuttering for a moment, Alfred quickly recovered and rubbed his thumbs in circles around Arthur's hip bones. "Is this okay?"

"Ah- yes, Alfred," Arthur groaned out exaggeratedly, smirking softly up at the merman.

Alfred's eyes widened and dilated, though he tried to get his reactions under control. "Tha- That's good."

"Mm, more, Alfred- I want  _more_..."

The hands faltered horribly and jerked to a stop. "More?" Alfred stared at him. "More what?"

Arthur chuckled softly at this, triumphant. "Mm, you're massaging me, aren't you...? Do it more," he murmured.

"O-Okay..." As Alfred continued his massage, he watched Arthur's face. And as he watched, he realized that Arthur was just teasing him horribly. "Mean," he muttered under his breath as he swept his hands up Arthur's sides.

"What was that?" Arthur purred, leaning into the touch. To be perfectly fair, his reactions weren't  _entirely_  fake, just mercilessly exaggerated.

"You're mean!" Alfred huffed back at him.

"Oh? And why do you think that, hm?" Arthur asked, raising a brow.

"Because you're acting meanly," Alfred told him, his hands unconsciously moving to play with the hem of Arthur's boxers.

"Heh, that's hardly an explanation, you know..."

"Well it's all I'm givin'!" Alfred declared. "...Do you still want more?"

"Of course," Arthur replied with a grin.

"Well what kind of 'more' would you like?" Alfred whispered, his fingers slipping down to caress the sensitive skin of Arthur's crotch.

Arthur shivered softly, not expecting the touches when he was already half-hard, and glanced up at Alfred. "I-I... Isn't it pretty obvious?" he breathed.

"Yeah, but I want you to tell me," Alfred told him with a smile, withdrawing the hand.

"Mm, and you call  _me_  mean..." Arthur's smile faltered for a moment, before he smirked gently at Alfred again. "And I thought I was supposed to be helping you," he murmured teasingly.

Alfred's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll help me? I mean I know you're tired..."

"Heh, my dear," Arthur murmured, a smirk still on his face - although it had softened - and ran his hand down the other's chest to his tail. "Of course I'd help. It's better than you doing it yourself, hm?"

"I just wanna know what it feels like," Alfred murmured, suddenly shy.

"Hm?" Arthur tilted his head a little. "What?"

"That... The blow job..." The merman peered up at Arthur from beneath his eyelashes.

Blinking, Arthur's heart stuttered for a second, before he let out a slight chuckle. "Well why didn't you say so earlier, hm?" he murmured, hand travelling down and resting on the slit in the merman's tail.

Alfred shuddered at the touch and shuffled ever so closer to him. "I- I was kinda embarrassed..."

"All that time I could have been making you feel better," Arthur murmured against the other's lips, then leaned forwards to press a quick kiss to them. "Turn over, then."

"Hey don't worry about it! You said you were tired!" Alfred said quickly. "And turn over why?"

Arthur frowned softly. "So I can help you..."

"Ah, right!" Alfred did as Arthur asked and peered at the man with excitement.

Smiling gently, Arthur leaned down to kiss Alfred quickly.

Alfred kissed him back desperately, his arms going around Arthur's neck.

Humming softly, Arthur allowed the kiss to become fiercer, before breaking away from it and kissing along Alfred's jaw.

"Ah- Ah Artie!" Alfred gasped, his arms tightening.

"Hm?" Arthur opened his eyes when he reached the other's neck, breathing gently on the spot before deciding that he wanted to pay Alfred back for yesterday and kissed the soft skin experimentally.

The merman shivered again, his breath coming in gasps. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," Arthur replied in a murmur. "...Can I leave a mark?"

"A mark? Like I did, to you?" Alfred's voice was high with excitement. "You want to?"

"Of course," Arthur growled softly, pushing down on Alfred's shoulders and meeting his eyes with hard, emerald ones. "You're mine, aren't you?"

Eyes widening at the sudden ferocity, Alfred could do little more but gape at the Brit. Eventually, he nodded weakly.

"Good," Arthur said as he ducked his head down, nipping at the skin on Alfred's neck before sucking the spot.

Mewls burst from Alfred's mouth and his hands tangled into Arthur's skin. "Arthur, oh God!"

Humming around the flesh in his mouth, Arthur sucked more, running his tongue over the skin.

Gasping more, Alfred shifted closer to him. "Arthur, it feels so good!"

Lips twitching up with satisfaction, Arthur soon pulled back to admire his work, peppering the whole area with kisses.

"Arthur- Arthur does it look good?" Alfred panted out, chest rising up slightly to meet the kisses.

"Mm... It does," Arthur murmured, brushing his fingers over the dark red mark, before gently pressing his lips to Alfred's chest.

"Ah..." As the sigh escaped Alfred's mouth, the merman's eyes closed. "Oh Artie..."

"Hm?" Arthur asked quietly, looking up at Alfred as his kisses moved down the merman's body.

"So good," Alfred mumbled, arching into him. "You make me feel so good..."

Arthur paused at this, then smiling and pressing a softer, longer kiss to the skin on Alfred's stomach. "I'm glad."

Hands moving to Arthur's hair and tangling it, Alfred let out a whine. "It's not fair that you can!"

Arthur simply chuckled, kissing there more and continuing his descent. He kissed along the smooth seam between Alfred's torso and his tail, then gently brushed his hand against the merman's slit.

A shiver went down Alfred's spine at the touch- it wasn't often that a hand other than his own was down there. Within the slit, his cock twitched. "A-Are you gonna get it out?"

Arthur's eyes flicked up to Alfred. "I can," he said quietly, stroking the area gently more. "...So this is sensitive?"

"Hnng-  _Yes_!" Alfred whimpered, his tail jerking to the side. Well when Arthur touched it like  _that_!

A small smile twitched at Arthur's mouth, and he gave a small chuckle. "So what should I do, hm?"

Alfred's eyes flew open and he stared at Arthur incredulously. "Get on with it!"

"Mm, yes, but what do you want me to do?" Arthur tilted his head. "That was a legitimate question, Alfred..."

"Oh." Alfred propped his torso up on his arms and thought about it. "How about...anything you want. But you gotta also do a blow job! That's my one requirement!"

"Heh, of course," Arthur said, smirking slightly. Then his eyes flitted down to where Alfred's crotch was hidden with a little trepidation, and he stroked it again as he looked back up at Alfred. "This... Y-You like this, though, right?"

"Ah- ah, yes!" The merman went limp and sighed with pleasure, though his hips kept on making little jerks.

"I see... That's good..." Arthur said, continuing the movements. He briefly wondered whether it felt to the merman like he was touching his actual crotch, or just a generally sensitive area. Then, he decided to experiment, and slipped his fingers gently between the two sheets of skin into the slit, his eyes on Alfred the whole time - the anatomy was slightly different in this case, and so Arthur was nervous and wanted to make sure he was pleasing Alfred and doing the right thing.

Nostrils flaring at the sudden intrusion, Alfred quickly relaxed into the feeling. It felt so good... He'd masturbated before, but nothing could come close to the feeling of someone else touching you. He allowed more moans to spill from his lips, wanting to let Arthur know that he was doing a good job.

"You like that, hm?" Arthur asked quietly, smiling a little to himself, pleased. He allowed his fingers to slip around the slit, stroking the merman softly from the inside.

The whines and mewls increased in volume and Alfred's breath started to come in pants. The merman squirmed under Arthur's ministrations, and soon enough his cock poked through the flesh. "Arthur, oh Arthur!"

"Ah..." Arthur blinked when he saw it, then smiled and leaned down to place a kiss at the tip just peeking out, before pulling it out fully and stroking the shaft gently.

Not that it needed much more coaxing. After the kiss, Alfred's cock was standing up straight and fully hard, and Alfred himself was gasping for breath. He wriggled, arms flailing for purchase before grasping onto Arthur's biceps.

Arthur chuckled a little, pressing another kiss to the tip, then all the way down to the base of Alfred's cock.

Alfred's hands once again found their way to Arthur's hair and he tangled his fingers in it, pushing Arthur a bit more down.

"Mmh-" Arthur grunted slightly, then lifted his head with a smirk. "Getting impatient, are we?" he murmured, raising a brow and then taking the tip of Alfred's cock into his mouth.

Alfred flat out keened at that. The warmth and wetness of Arthur's mouth felt like nothing else the merman had ever experienced, and he instinctively thrust harshly into Arthur's face, wanting more of his cock inside.

Surprised, Arthur tensed slightly, his eyes widening, before he closed them and relaxed his throat, his mouth opening a little more to take Alfred in, and he gave a small suck.

"Fucking-!" Alfred screamed softly, bucking up more and forcing Arthur's head down more.

"Nngh..." Arthur hummed gently around the cock in his mouth, forcing his throat to relax, and decided to fuck it and humor the merman. So, breathing softly through his nose, he relaxed himself as much as possible and took Alfred in until the head of his cock hit the back of the Brit's throat, then giving a harsh suck and swallowing softly around him.

"Oh fucking God-" Alfred spasmed in pleasure, writhing and gasping underneath the Brit. He was so close, and Arthur had just started! "Arthur!"

The reactions got to Arthur, and he shifted slightly, pressing his legs a little closer together as he bobbed his head, a free hand coming up to gently rub at the slit around the merman's member - he supposed it was akin to fondling his balls, and he wanted Alfred to experience it all. At the other's voice, his eyes opened, glancing up at Alfred beneath his lashes as he moved. "Hm...?"

"More! More, Artie!" Alfred gasped out, thrusting again.

"A-Ah-" Arthur kept his eyes on Alfred as he bobbed, giving little sucks and licks, before deep-throating the merman again.

"God, Arthur! Fuck yes!" Alfred's throat was going hoarse from his cries. "Arthur, please!"

Arthur gave a harsh suck, even gently dragging his teeth over the top of Alfred's shaft, and lapped softly at the tip, all his efforts going to drive Alfred to the edge. He gave out another small hum, his eyes going wide and doeful as their gaze shifted up to Alfred's.

When Alfred met that gaze, he came undone. A low gasp tore itself from his throat and he couldn't stop himself from spilling right into Arthur's mouth.

Letting out a small gasp of surprise himself, Arthur closed his eyes and obediently swallowed the warm fluid, sucking Alfred dry before coming up, eyes lidded, face flushed, and with a little come dribbling out of the corner of his mouth.

Alfred was looking at him in awe, eyes wide and hands reaching down to cup Arthur's cheeks. A thumb reached out to wipe the come away. "Arthur..."

Arthur sighed gently, a soft smile coming over his face as he leaned into the other's hand. He shuffled up to the merman, letting himself lie on top of him and hug him gently. "...How was it?" he murmured

"It was...amazing," Alfred mumbled back, his arms moving to wrap around Arthur's torso.

"Mm, that's good." Arthur's smile grew, pleased that Alfred had enjoyed it. He himself was still hard from the experience, but he could take care of it himself later - or it would go down itself soon enough anyway - and he didn't want to bother Alfred with it, so he just hummed contentedly and snuggled into the merman.

But Alfred felt the hard cock poking into his tail, and he raised an eyebrow. "So you need help too?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked, looking up at Alfred, and then smiled slightly. "Ah... It's all right, Alfred. You're probably a little tired, right? Don't worry about it," he said softly.

"Ah, okay..." Alfred thought for a moment, and then brightened. "Well if you wanna use me to get yourself off, then go ahead!"

"It's fine," Arthur murmured, simply closing his eyes and leaning into the other.

"Okay, if you're sure." Alfred pressed soft kisses to any part of Arthur that he could reach.

Humming contentedly, Arthur snuggled closer. Soon enough, though, he was ever so slightly shifting his hips against Alfred's scales, the moves almost unconscious. The merman noticed those movements, but he didn't say anything for fear of disturbing the Brit. Plus the rutting felt nice, so he wasn't losing anything by letting them happen. Arthur hummed softly, snuggling closer to his lover.

"Hey there, Artie," Alfred murmured to him.

"Hey," Arthur replied quietly, his hips still moving against the other in gentle motions.

"Heh, Artieeee..." One of Alfred's hands reached up to run through the Brit's hair.

"Hm?" Arthur asked in a mumble.

"Nothin'. Just hey." Alfred grinned at him.

Arthur eyed the other suspiciously for a moment, before huffing and burying his nose in Alfred's neck, shifting his hips a little.

"What?" Smiling more, Alfred rubbed ever so gently back.

"What yourself?" Arthur said with another huff, humming gently at the increase in feeling.

"You! You, Artie! I love you!" Alfred suddenly pressed kisses to everywhere he could reach.

"Wh-wha-?" Arthur blinked, flushing. "Wh-What's this for?"

"Because it's true!" Alfred chirped, kissing him more. "And thank you for earlier!"

"You don't need to thank me."

"But I want to!"

"Well it's only normal..."

"Still! Thank you!" Alfred snuggled more into him.

Arthur huffed and hugged back. "Well, you're welcome."

"Really!" Alfred rubbed against him more harshly.

"Ah-" Gasping at the increase in friction, Arthur's eyes widened slightly as he suddenly realized what he was doing, and his movements stuttered, his face reddening a little in embarrassment. Soon enough the rubbing cut off entirely.

"Sorry!" Alfred's eyes widened as he realized that he'd done the thing he was trying to avoid. He cupped Arthur's face and pressed their foreheads together. "It's okay! You can keep doing that, don't worry please!"

"A-Ah... All right..." Arthur mumbled. He was still a little embarrassed, but he was still turned on too, so he let himself start rubbing against the other a little again.

The merman let out little gasps and pants of his own, and he leaned into the touches.

This spurred Arthur on slightly, and he became more confident, his movements a bit bolder and stronger.

"There we go... Yeah, Artie," Alfred murmured.

"Mm..." Closing his eyes and clutching the other closer, Arthur rutted against him.

"Artie, Artie!" Alfred leaned into all the sensations, closing his eyes as well.

He felt the rutting speed up, heard Arthur's pants and sensed the Brit's breath against his neck. He himself crooned soft encouragement and tightened his grip on his lover. Soon enough Arthur came undone, and Alfred felt the spot of warmth against his tail.

"You feel better?" he asked softly.

"Mm..." Arthur hummed in affirmation, leaning closer to the other.

"I'm glad, Artie. I like making you feel good."

"Yes..."

"Wanna sleep now?"

Arthur blinked. "Are you sure that's okay? We haven't eaten yet," he mumbled.

"Ah, right food! Do you wanna move to make it?"

"Mm, I don't mind."

"Okay! So you get food then we moved to the mattress?"

"All right," Arthur replied with a soft smile.

"Go then, babe!"

"Mhm." Quickly pressing a kiss to Alfred's cheek, Arthur then pulled himself away and headed off to make food.

"Bye!" Alfred called after him, waving a bit.

The Brit was soon back with food, and he sat by the pool passing the tray to Alfred.

"Thanks." Taking the food, Alfred pressed a kiss to Arthur's cheek. "It looks really good." He ate quickly but quietly, and then rested his head on Arthur's shoulder.

"Hm?" Arthur blinked and smiled, raising a hand to stroke Alfred's hair.

"Just hi there," Alfred said softly.

"Heh, well hello back," Arthur murmured back, turning his head to lightly kiss Alfred's, then quickly finishing his food.

Once the food was gone, Alfred tugged him onto the mattress and curled up around him. "Night then, Artie?"

"Heh, all right," Arthur responded, snuggling into him a little. "Good night."

Arthur drifted off first. Alfred was kept awake long into the night by disturbing thoughts. All the while during their sexual escapades that evening, Alfred had desperately wanted to wrap his legs around Arthur's body to hold him closer. The obvious problem was, of course that Alfred didn't have legs to do that with. It was a problem that both plagued and terrified him. Arthur had said that he didn't care, but Alfred knew that one day he would get tired of the inability to even go out properly with his partner.

And maybe, just maybe, Arthur would find someone else who made his heart flutter and made him feel good, but someone that he'd also be able to take around town and do fun things with and go on proper dates like they did on TV. Alfred wasn't stupid. He knew that a good portion of his allure came from the fact that he was a merman. Even the ugliest merperson would be regarded with fascination by the humans. And one day, that fascination could fade.

Alfred eventually fell asleep, though his dreams were troubled. He woke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, whimpering as he curled up around himself, his arms slipping from Arthur's body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eheh, surprise blowjob there- And some angst for you!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, last main storyline chapter, but never fear! There are gonna be three more chapters (four or five omakes~)

Arthur only stirred a little at first, but then frowned gently at the cold, his eyes cracking open. "Alfred?" he mumbled.

The merman whimpered more, seeming not to have noticed that the Brit was awake.

Arthur blinked, brow furrowing more and a hand coming up to the merman's cheek. "Alfred, what is it?" He was wide awake by then, and as he shook the sleep off of his mind, his heart hammered. He didn't understand what was going on yet, but whatever it was he didn't like it.

"Ah-!" Alfred looked at him, eyes wide, and then dropped his gaze. "N-No, nothing... Sorry for waking you." He couldn't face him, not after a dream like that. Moreover, he felt incredibly guilty for waking Arthur up because of it. He was mentally cursing himself for not being more quiet and forcing down the sniffles that threatened to burst from his mouth.

"Alfred... Alfred, what's wrong?" Arthur whispered, tilting Alfred's chin up.

"I... I just had a bad dream," Alfred whispered, still looking down. "Don't worry..."

"Well of course I'll worry." Arthur sighed softly, tilting his head and stroking Alfred's cheek gently. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what the dream was about?"

"You-" Alfred choked out, screwing his eyes shut. His chest and throat burned with unshed tears.

Arthur paused for a second, but quickly continued comforting the other, though his heart did speed up a little. "...And it was a bad dream? What about, hm?"

"Y-You were with a guy," Alfred whispered, hugging himself tightly. It was hard to get the words out, but he was afraid that if he didn't do it right at that moment he would lose the confidence to. "And he was blond an' tall an' pretty... And you were  _walking_  down the street with him and you were so happy-" The merman broke off with a choked sob. "A-And I was in a tank to the side and I called out but you just p-passed me and didn't look back-" His breath came in heaves and he started sobbing in earnest. His inner dam was gone, swept away with the force of his misery, and he could barely hear Arthur's words when the human next spoke.

"Wh- Alfred... What's making you have a dream like that, hm?" Arthur murmured, a worried look in his eyes as he pushed the merman's hair back to stroke the side of his face. "I'm right here, aren't I? It's you that I'm with, not some other guy."

"B-But you can't walk down the street with me!" Alfred sobbed. "You can't g-go on dates or-"

Arthur stared at him for a moment, then huffed. "Alfred, you idiot. You think I'd leave you for something like that? Don't be ridiculous. I don't  _care_  what I can or can't do with you, as long as it's with  _you_. Obviously it'd be nice to go on dates and everything, but if it's not with you, there's no point."

"B-But what if you meet- if you meet someone else?" Alfred's voice was hoarse and he looked at Arthur with tearstained, miserable,  _terrified_  eyes.

"Alfred..." Arthur sighed softly. "I would never choose someone else over you just because they could  _walk_  or do any of those things. Do you think I'm that shallow, hm? I want to be with you. That's what matters."

"I-I don't know, I'm sorry!" Alfred closed his eyes, whimpering. "I just wanna be able to do that with you!"

"Hey- Hey, it's all right..." Arthur replied, cupping Alfred's cheek and stroking it softly. "It's okay, Alfred, I'm sorry. I know..." And Arthur wanted to do it with the merman too. But he'd rather not do it and be able to stay with Alfred than the alternative... Unless there was another option?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Alfred clung to him tightly, sobbing and sniffling.

"Hey, n-no, don't be..." Hugging him close, Arthur squeezed the merman gently, kissing the side of his head. "It's okay, I'm right here..."

"O-Okay Artie." Alfred squeezed him back and leaned into him. "Please don't leave me!"

"I won't leave you, Alfred," Arthur murmured, stroking the other's hair.

"P-Promise?" The merman wiped his snotty nose with the back of his hand and hid his face in the crook of Arthur's neck.

"Of course I promise. I don't care if somebody else is able to walk or take me on dates, because it's you that I'd want to do that with, and nobody else. And I don't care if we can't do it in the same way, because we can make it work anyway. As long as I can spend my time with you, I'll be happy." Arthur kept his voice low and comforting, and he was glad for the darkness because it made saying everything that much easier for him.

"Artie!" Alfred clung to him more and pressed desperate kisses all over the Brit's neck and shoulder.

"Yes, yes, I'm here," Arthur quietly reassured, his voice soft as he stroked the other's hair and back.

"I know. I know you are, Artie," Alfred whispered, his breaths long and shuddering.

"Yes... That's good," the Brit murmured, nuzzling to and kissing the merman's hair.

"...Sorry for waking you," Alfred mumbled after a few moments of silence.

"Hm? No, don't be, it's all right."

"Are you sure?" Alfred pulled back to hesitantly look at him.

Smiling softly, Arthur lifted a hand to cup Alfred's cheek. "It's fine, really. I'm glad you woke me for this, so I could help you."

"Really?" Alfred's eyes slowly filled with hope.

"Of course," Arthur replied with a small chuckle, pushing Alfred's bangs behind his ear.

Alfred smiled at the gesture and leaned into the hand. Turning his head to the side, he kissed the palm. "I love you, Artie..." he mumbled, voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Heh, you too, Alfred," Arthur murmured back. "Come now, let's get back to sleep, hm?"

Huffing, Alfred leaned down and nipped at Arthur's shoulder. "Say it!" His tears were almost forgotten by that point, and his voice was stronger despite the fresh tear tracks down his face. The lump in his throat from crying was still there, but it had shrunk greatly and soon Alfred was confident it would be gone entirely.

Arthur blinked, glancing across at Alfred. "Ah- wh-what...?"

"Tell me that you love me?" Alfred gave him puppy eyes.

After a moment, Arthur chuckled, then pulled Alfred down to press a kiss to his forehead. "I love you too, Alfred," he said quietly.

"I'm glad..." Alfred smiled, eyes already closing. Giving a final snuffle, he drifted off.

Arthur smiled warmly as he watched the other, hugging him close and stroking his hair gently. "Sleep well, now," the Brit murmured, closing his eyes and nodding off himself

And Alfred did - he slept undisturbed until the mid-morning sun shone through the windows and woke him. He immediately burrowed closer into Arthur's chest, sighing happily. His thoughts lazily drifted to the previous night, but instead of sadness Alfred was filled with warmth. Arthur was there with him. Arthur loved him and he was right beside him and he wouldn't leave. Not even for someone with legs. He felt his heart could burst, and he smiled privately to himself as he breathed in Arthur's scent.

The movements made Arthur stir, and he shifted to hold the merman closer.

"Morning, Artie!" Alfred chirped softly, kissing right over Arthur's heart.

"Ah..." Arthur's eyes blinked open, his heart stuttering a little at the movement as he smiled. "Good morning."

"Hi there!" Alfred peered at him, eyes crinkling at the corners with a brighter smile. "Did you sleep well for the rest of the night?"

"Mm, I did, yes." Arthur tilted his head. "...How about you, hm?"

"Yeah! We went on a date!"

"Oh? We did?" Arthur chuckled softly.

"Yeah! I had legs! It was pretty cool."

"Oh, Alfred..." Smiling gently, Arthur stroked his cheeks. "That does sound nice."

"No, don't worry! It was nice, but not sad so don't worry!"

"All right," Arthur said with a chuckle, giving the other a gentle squeeze. He couldn't help but think about the previous night for the rest of the day, however, and he was so lost in thought that he only completed half of his work. Alfred had seemed so upset at the thought of not being able to go on dates with Arthur - and to be fair, Arthur would hardly mind going on them either - but wasn't there any way that was possible? There had to be something he could do... Arthur only came to his senses when he looked up at his calendar, and a small plan started forming in his mind.

"Your birthday's on the 4th of July, right? You mentioned it was summer and there were a lot of fireworks..." Arthur suddenly brought the question up a couple of hours later, once he and the merman had eaten dinner.

"Um, yeah!" Alfred looked up, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... It's in a few days," Arthur replied absently. "Is there anything you'd like me to get you?"

"Oh! It is?" Alfred's eyes widened. "I don't know, whatever you want!"

Arthur gave the other a small smile. "...All right, if you're sure."

"Yeah! I don't even know what I'd want."

"Well I'm sure I'll think of something." Arthur grinned softly at the merman, then splashed him. He chuckled at Alfred's indignant squawk and only readied his hand for more splashing. "Anyway- do you want to play?"

And so they played for the remainder of the day, and all through the next few days when Arthur wasn't working or up to some secretive errands here and there. Alfred got suspicious of him, but Arthur would never tell him anything so he soon forgot about it. He would find out eventually. And then, of course, along came the day of the fourth, and Arthur was in a room with Alfred for his promised 'tour of the rest of the house', fidgeting impatiently, his eyes flitting to the clock every now and then.

After a while, Alfred noticed his tenseness. "Artie?" he asked, placing a hand on Arthur's thigh. "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Arthur started slightly and blinked down at Alfred. "Ah- of course," he said with a small smile.

"Okay." His arms going around Arthur's waist, Alfred pulled him close.

"Heh, hello..." Arthur murmured, a hand reaching up to stroke Alfred's hair.

"Hello, hello! Happy birthday to me!"

Smiling more, Arthur pressed a kiss to the top of the merman's head. "Yes, happy birthday, Alfred," he chuckled.

"I'm twenty today!"

"You are indeed," Arthur replied, ruffling Alfred's hair and grinning.

"Ah!" Lighting up, the merman looked up at Arthur and grinned back.

"Hm?" Arthur asked, tilting his head at the other.

"I like it when you do that with my hair!" Alfred told him, a broad smile on his lips.

His own grin growing, Arthur chuckled, his heart speeding up at that smile. "Well I'm glad," he said, ruffling the sandy blond hair more.

"Me too!" The merman leaned into his human, but before the two of them could get too comfortable, the doorbell rang.

"Ah-" Jumping a little for the second time in as many seconds, Arthur turned his head to look. "Oh- I-I should probably get that."

Pouting, Alfred let him go. "Okay. Hurry back to me."

"I will," Arthur said with a smile, before heading to the door.

Gilbert was there, a bag under his arm. "Hey there Kirkland. How's the birthday boy?"

"He's good," Arthur replied with a nod, letting the family in and leading them to the pool room. "How are you all?"

"We're doing well," Matthew said, smiling.

"Yeah, it's all good!" Gilbert smiled at Matthew and Fritz and drew the boy close.

"Wonderful." Arthur led them into the room, which he'd done up like he had for the dinner recently, but the decorations were specifically for Alfred's birthday, and they were set up by the wide window so they could watch the fireworks when they went off. There was already some food and drink on the table, and space for a cake later on. "We should be in soon, so get yourselves settled down quickly, all right?"

Gilbert nodded, whistling appreciatively at the decor. "See you soon!" He led Fritz to one of the chairs and hoisted him up.

Arthur nodded, then headed off back to his merman, smiling as he re-entered the room he was in.

"Hi, Artie!" Alfred looked up from where he was situated in the plushiest of the library chairs. "Was that Gilbert and Mattie and Fritz? When can I see them?"

"Yes, yes, no need to be so impatient," Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"All right..." Alfred pouted softly, but then brightened and patted his lap.

"Hm?" Arthur smiled softly, before coming forwards to the other and seating himself on his lap.

"I just want you here if I can't go out," Alfred told him, wrapping his arms around that thin waist.

Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly as he leant back into Alfred. "Mm, maybe that's exactly why I don't want you go out," he mumbled. "Those lot just popped over to greet you quickly, but who knows how long they'll impose... They can't blame me for wanting a few extra minutes alone with you, hm?"

"I don't mind at all, Artie!" Alfred declared in a proud voice, moving forward to kiss the Brit.

"Heh, good," Arthur murmured back before their lips met.

Alfred kept this kiss short, but once he pulled away he pressed their foreheads together and smiled.

Smiling back softly, Arthur cupped the other's cheeks, trying not to get too lost in his eyes. But of course Alfred only smiled more, his eyes lighting up and overflowing with love- And it was too late - Arthur's breath hitched, his mouth falling into a soft 'o' as his heart sped up and his eyes widened, locked to Alfred's.

Alfred of course knew what sort of reaction he was provoking in Arthur, but he decided to be nice. So he tried to communicate to the Brit through his eyes just how much he loved him.

"A-Alfred..." Arthur whispered, his breath shuddering before, unable to take it, he dropped his gaze.

"Hmm?" Alfred tilted his head to the side a bit and slipped a finger under Arthur's chin to raise it. "What is it, Artie?"

The Brit's face was red, and his fingers curled on Alfred's chest tightly. "Are- Are you trying to kill me?" he murmured. "Looking at me like that so I can barely breathe..."

"I wanna fill you with love, Artie," Alfred whispered. "Give you so much that you overflow and drown in it. But not really drown cuz that would be bad..."

"Well you're doing that well," Arthur whispered back, glancing up at the merman, breathless.

"I am?" Alfred's concentration broke as his face lit up with immeasurable happiness. "I'm glad!"

Smiling slightly himself, Arthur watched for a few moments, before his head dropped to Alfred shoulder. "...You really are trying to kill me," he mumbled.

"Wh- How?!" Alfred's face changed to confused, and he patted Arthur's hair.

"You, looking like that... I can barely keep up with my heart..." The next moment, Arthur leaned forwards to press his lips to the other's.

Any words Alfred wanted to say were stifled by the kiss, though he leaned into it eagerly. His hands moved to tangle in Arthur's hair, and as their lips moved together he thought to himself that this would be the best birthday ever.

Arthur hummed softly into the kiss, pressing it deeper before he realized himself and reluctantly pulled away. "We... We should probably go say hello to the others..."

"Yeah." Alfred shifted. "My tail's close to drying out anyway..." He looked around for the wheelchair that Arthur had brought him there in.

"Ah, of course..." Standing, Arthur retrieved the chair, wheeling it over to Alfred and helping him in. He smiled slightly as he thought of how this'd probably be the last time, then proceeded to push Alfred to the pool room.

Looking up, Alfred saw the smile and leaned his head back until it rested against Arthur's stomach. "Hey there, Artie!"

"Heh, hello," Arthur murmured, now smiling down at the other.

"Tonight can we do some stuff?"

Arthur raised a brow. "Do some stuff?"

"Yeah! Like- Like the sex stuff!"

"You mean you want a birthday shag," Arthur said with chuckle, then leant down to press a kiss to Alfred's cheek. "Of course we will."

"Yeah, one of those! Thanks, Artie!" Alfred grinned broadly at him.

Arthur chuckled gently, smiling back, then opened the door to the pool room.

Gilbert grinned when he saw them come in. "Happy birthday, Alfred!"

Alfred smiled more and even flushed a bit. "Thanks!"

Arthur smiled softly and led Alfred to where Matthew and Fritz were waiting where the party was set up.

"Happy birthday," Matthew said with a small smile, nudging his son to wish a 'happy birthday' too.

"Thanks, you guys!" Alfred's face shone with happiness, and he looked around eagerly at the decorations. "This is so great..."

"So you like it?" Arthur asked tentatively.

"Yeah!" The merman grabbed Arthur and pulled him down on his lap, squeezing him tight.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked in surprise, but the chuckled and lifted a hand to pat Alfred's head in response. "That's good."

"Thank you! And thanks Gilbert and Mattie and Fritz too!"

"Heh, you're welcome, Alfred," Matthew replied.

"Come, sit down," Arthur requested, tugging Alfred's arm gently.

"Okay." Alfred allowed Arthur to pull his wheelchair wherever.

Setting Alfred by the pool, Arthur gestured for him to get out of the chair. "Come on."

Alfred flopped out onto the floor, grinning.

"Go on, then."

"Go on with what?" Alfred tilted his head.

"Help yourself."

"Thanks, Artie!" Alfred took some of the food for himself and passed the plate to Arthur. "Did you plan this for a long time?" he asked softly.

"Uhm... Well I suppose since I realized it would be your birthday soon," the Brit admitted bashfully, putting the food on his own plate.

Looking at him with wide, happy eyes, Alfred leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Arthur's cheek. "Thank you, Arthur..." he whispered.

Arthur glanced over and smiled slightly back. "...Of course," he murmured.

"Really, thank you." Alfred wrapped him into a massive hug.

"Ah..." Arthur chuckled slightly, then wrapped his own arms around the other. "Well you're welcome."

"And- And thank you guys for coming. You're awesome!" Alfred told Matthew and Gilbert and Fritz. There were happy tears in his eyes.

Matthew smiled gently, patting the widely-grinning Fritz' head with a small chortle. "Of course, Alfred. We're glad to be here."

"I'm glad you're here too!"

"Heh. So how's your birthday been so far?" the Canadian inquired, nibbling on a cheese and pineapple square and leaning slightly into Gilbert.

"It's been good!" Alfred replied, watching as Gilbert wrapped his arm around Matthew's shoulder. "We cuddled lots and then Arthur just showed me more around the house. He hasn't given me any presents yet."

The albino chuckled. "Aww, Kirkland, don't be cruel to your boyfriend."

"Wh- I'm not being cruel! I just thought I'd give them along with everyone else..."

"Meanie Artie..." Alfred turned pitiable eyes on the Brit.

"Wh-wha- I'm not mean!" Arthur insisted, only to be interrupted by Fritz.

"Meanie, meanie!"

"Hah!" Alfred nodded at Fritz. "Yeah, tell him!"

"I- Oh for goodness' sake, fine, here!" Arthur huffed, chucking a present Alfred's way in the hopes it'd hit him.

But Alfred caught the parcel and eagerly unwrapped it. "...A notebook and pencils?" His eyes suddenly lit up as he realized the significance of the present. "So I can write that book?"

"Well, you said you wanted to," Arthur mumbled, but he had a small smile on his face.

"Thank you thank you!" Alfred launched himself at the Brit, wrapping around him and squeezing tight.

"A-Ah-" Eyes widening, Arthur blinked, then laughed softly and hugged back. "You're very welcome."

"I love you Artie, oh thank you so much!"

"Heh, yes, yes... Now you'd better write me a good book, hm?" Arthur said, grinning softly and pressing a kiss to Alfred's hair.

"I will, I will!" Alfred wriggled excitedly on Arthur's lap. "I promise, I'll write the best book for you!"

Arthur chuckled softly. "All right, good good. Now come on, I'm sure there's more for you."

"More presents?" Alfred's eyes widened.

"Well of course. I'm sure you guys have brought something too, right?" Arthur asked, looking pointedly at the family across the table.

"Of course we have!" Gilbert looked affronted. He handed Alfred his own present, wrapped up neatly in black and white.

The gift turned out to be a collection of Disney movies ("He'll like them, trust me."), a fuzzy hat with the pattern of the American flag on it ("He's American, right?"), and a vibrator ("It's a top-of-the-line one, and he needs something to keep him occupied when you're working!"). Alfred nodded appreciatively at each present and shoved the vibrator's box into Arthur's face.

"Look, Artie!"

Groaning loudly, Arthur pushed it away. "Yes, yes I see it - is that really appropriate?!" The latter half of the sentence was directed towards Gilbert (who the present was clearly thought up by), and the Brit scowled at him behind a slightly reddened face.

"It is," Gilbert said shortly, a smug grin on his face. "So, Arthur, you got any more presents for him?"

"Wh- I-" Arthur sputtered a little, then huffed. "Of course I do."

"Really?" Alfred lit up again.

"Well, yes..." Arthur quickly retrieved a few more presents and passed them to the merman. They contained some posh, expensive coffee, since Alfred had said he'd liked it previously, a large selection of informational books on human history and technology and culture and science - along with just a few 'fun' books for Alfred to read in his spare time - and a few different shirts and tops.

Alfred's eyes lit up more and more with each gift, and when they were all unwrapped, he gave Arthur a big kiss. "Thank you! This is more than I could have hoped for," he whispered. With glee he thought that he would be able to start his own library, and he made a mental note to ask Arthur about some bookshelves for the pool room later.

"Ah... Heh, I'm glad you like them." Arthur smiled shyly, then took Alfred's hand and squeezed it. "You have got another one, but I'll give it to you later."

"Another one?" Alfred tilted his head to the side and laced their fingers together.

"Another present. I'll give it to you when this lot have gone, all right?"

"Okay." Alfred gave him a private smile and turned back to his food. "So when are the fireworks gonna start?"

"Heh, they should be quite soon. There's already been a few, we just couldn't see them because it was light."

"Oh, really?!"

Arthur chuckled. "Bloody hell, they can't get enough of fireworks today. I explained why today's a celebrated day, didn't I?"

"I don't think you did..."

"Ah, right- well, years ago, England used to own this land. And after a while, the people who had settled here decided they didn't want to be ruled by England anymore, so they started a revolution against them, and that evolved into a war. After years of that, eventually, on the 4th of July, America became independent." Arthur leaned back a little, looking out of the window. "It was actually a lot more intricate than that, I think it's in one of the books I gave you, but that's basically the reason Americans are so obsessed with today."

"Ohhh." Alfred looked thoughtful, and then grinned. "That's cool!"

Snorting gently, Arthur shook his head. "I suppose it is..."

"Yeah, it is!" Alfred's smile grew.

"Heh... All right, as long as you're happy."

"I am happy! I'm really happy because I've got all you with me today."

"Then that's good," Arthur said with a smile. "Ah- so is there anything you want to do now?"

They ended up just sitting around the table and talking for a while, and at one point Fritz and Alfred splashed around in the pool. Gilbert was tempted to join them, but one touch from Matthew and a glance at the quiet blond's face put an end to that idea. He pouted until Matthew inconspicuously touched his inner thigh- a promise for later. Not even that could stop him from staring at the water longingly, though.

Eventually the call for cake brought Alfred and Fritz back to the table. It was made by Arthur and decorated in red, white, and blue all around. Curiously, Gilbert and Matthew politely refused their slices (at least they tried; a smiling Arthur forced plates into their hands and they ended up picking at the icing) though Fritz and Alfred had no problem, and Alfred even went back for seconds and thirds.

Then it was time for the fireworks. They could see them now, since it had gotten dark enough. Alfred dragged his body to the windows and was pressed against the glass, fogging it up, and watched with amazement.

"Arthur, they're so pretty!"

Sat back at the table with his chin in his hands, Arthur chuckled. "They are, aren't they?" he murmured, coming forward to Alfred's side.

Alfred pulled the Brit down next to himself and snuggled up to the man. "This is the best birthday ever, Arthur. Thank you." He tore his eyes away from the sparkles lighting up the sky and focused on Arthur's forest green gaze.

Breath catching slightly, Arthur smiled a little. "...Well I'm glad you like it."

"I do! I like it so much!" Alfred was delighted when he could see the fireworks reflected in Arthur's eyes, and he leaned forward so he could get a better look at them.

"That's good," Arthur whispered, unable to tear his gaze away, and after a few moments it became too much, Alfred was too close, and the Brit leaned closer, eyes closing as their lips met.

"Ah.." Alfred himself let out a soft breath, and his eyes too slipped shut as he kissed back.

Slowly, a hand came up to cup Alfred's cheek, and Arthur shifted a little closer.

Alfred pulled away a few moments later and leaned into Arthur's hand. "Artie, Artie..."

Chasing after his lips for just a moment more, Arthur then opened his eyes and tilted his head a little. "Hm?"

"You're perfect, Artie," Alfred murmured.

He was about to say more when Gilbert came up to them, a sleeping Fritz in his arms. "We're gonna head off, okay? You two enjoy the rest of your night. And happy birthday, Alfred."

"Thanks, Gil!" Alfred looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for coming!"

"Oh..." Arthur turned to look at Gilbert as well, a somewhat odd look in his eyes, before he decided on a small smile. "...Thank you," he said quietly, then leaned across to say goodbye to Matthew too, who smiled gently.

"Good night, you two. Happy birthday again."

"Bye!" Alfred waved good bye to them, and then snuggled back up to Artie. "Thank you, Arthur..."

"Of course," Arthur murmured back, stroking the other's hair.

"So..." Alfred fidgeted, not wanting to sound too impatient. "So you had that other present?" The fireworks had lost most of their awe now that the two of them were alone and there were better things to concentrate on.

Arthur looked up at Alfred, then smiled. "...I do. You want it now?"

"Yes please!"

Smile growing, Arthur leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to Alfred's lips. "...One moment, then," he said, and then headed off to get the present. A few minutes later he brought it in, coughing to get Alfred's attention.

Alfred's brow furrowed. "It's a...wheelchair? Don't I already have one?"

The corner of Arthur's smile twitched up, and he composed his thoughts before looking up at Alfred. "...It's a custom job. The material here covers up a tank full of water, and goes down to the floor so nobody can see what's underneath. To most people it'd just look like you're a normal human with a blanket, but you can stay in it for as long as you like without your tail drying up, so... Well. You already know what that means."

Alfred's eyes slowly widened as his mouth dropped open. "W-We can go out? Like properly? A-And on dates and stuff?"

Arthur nodded slightly. "You can see what life's like outside. You can meet people and come with me places... Go round the house when you like..."

Those blue eyes filled with tears that soon spilled over. Within seconds Alfred was sitting there and sobbing, though there was a broad smile on his face.

"...Happy birthday, Alfred," Arthur said, his own voice cracking a little as he smiled back happily. "Come on, try it out!"

"C-Come here." Alfred raised his arms shakily.

Smiling softly, Arthur moved over to the merman, leaning down with an arm outstretched to help Alfred up.

But instead of that, Alfred pulled Arthur down onto his lap and cried into the man's shoulder. "A-Arthur I- I don't know how- how to thank you!" he wailed. "I just- it means so much- hic-!"

Arthur chuckled softly, stroking Alfred's hair. "You don't have to thank me," he murmured warmly. "It's your birthday present. And besides, I wouldn't mind you being able to move more freely either..."

"I-I dooooo!" Alfred suddenly pushed Arthur away and grabbed his face, staring at the Brit with watery eyes. In the next moment he was peppering Arthur's cheeks and face and chin with sloppy, wet kisses.

Laughing softly, Arthur leaned into it. "A-Alfred..."

"Whaaaat?" Alfred pulled back, wiping at his eyes.

"You don't need to thank me," Arthur said with a smile, drying Alfred's eyes with a thumb.

"B-But you do so much for me..." Alfred whispered, one hand reaching up shakily to caress Arthur's cheek.

Sighing gently, Arthur looked at him a few moments before placing a hand under his chin and grinning. "Then, would you make it up to me by accompanying me on a date?"

Alfred nodded and let out a pitiable little whine as he started crying again. "Ye- Yes!" he sobbed, hiding his face in Arthur's shoulder and wiping his snotty nose on Arthur's jacket in the process.

Arthur chuckled softly, hugging the other gently and lightly stroking his hair and back.

After a few moments, Alfred calmed down some. "Okay... Okay Artie." He sniffled a bit and smiled at the Brit. "Help me into the chair?"

"Of course," Arthur said with a small smile back, holding his arms out to the merman.

Alfred slithered into them, happily nuzzling up to the man.

"Heh..." Cuddling back for a moment, Arthur then helped Alfred to the new wheelchair, then up into it.

The seat and armrests were made of a comfortable and soft material that would hold Alfred's shape and not get irritating after long amounts. The blanket was warm and fuzzy, though Arthur also had a thinner one that could be exchanged in. It took some maneuvering to get the tail in right and then some more time to fill the covered basin, and Alfred sighed as he wiggled around to get comfortable. He could also swish his tail gently if he wanted to, and folded his arms gently over the blanket for a moment once it was in place. He wriggled again, though this time out of happiness.

"Ah, it's comfortable!" Alfred couldn't resist running his hands over the sleek armrests again. He grinned up at his lover. "It's perfect!"

"I'm glad," Arthur replied with a smile, truly happy that Alfred was satisfied with the chair.

"Well I'm glad you're glad!" Alfred shot back, then grabbed Arthur's hand and pressed a kiss to the palm.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, then gave a small, sheepish laugh. "What's that for, hm?"

"Just as thanks," Alfred murmured, kissing the hand more.

"Heh... All right," Arthur breathed back, smiling softly and watching the merman.

"Yeah!" Once he was finished with kissing the palm, Alfred moved it to his cheek.

Smiling only more, Arthur stroked the merman's cheek gently with a thumb.

"H-Hi, Artie," Alfred rasped out, leaning into the touch.

"Heh. Hello, dear..." Arthur murmured back.

"Hello! Can- Can we go out for a walk somewhere?" Alfred asked hopefully.

"Now?" Arthur asked, bemused. "...Well I suppose so, if you want to."

"It doesn't have to be far, I promise!"

Arthur chuckled softly and leaned down to press a kiss to Alfred's forehead. "I know. We may as well try it out, anyway."

"Yes, yes!" Alfred's eyes shone with hope.

Arthur moved behind Alfred, then bent over and carefully showed him all of the controls. "If I'm not pushing you, you can use this to move the chair, or push the wheels with your arms, although I do think pushing it yourself would be better..."

"Yeah, I'd rather do it myself too," Alfred said, and kissed Arthur's chin with a cheeky smile.

Arthur blinked and glanced down at Alfred, his mouth pulling sideways into a slight smirk himself. "Heh, that's good. Shall we, then?"

"Let's go! And push me this time!"

And so the two headed off, Arthur pushing the merman to the elevator, out into the foyer of the building, and then out of the building itself.

Alfred was practically bouncing with excitement, though he tried not to show it too much. There was an air of almost electric excitement around him, and he couldn't wait to take in all the sights. His eyes were wide as soon as they left the building and he gazed around eagerly at the streets and buildings and people, though one of his hands reached back to grip Arthur's.

Looking down at the pressure, Arthur smiled warmly at Alfred, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "How do you like it?" he whispered.

"It's awesome!" Alfred looked around again. "But kinda scary too..."

"Heh, of course," Arthur murmured, stroking the other's hair gently. "You'll be fine. It's a little more busy and manic than usual because of the celebrations." They easily crossed an intersection and continued down a couple of more blocks.

The fireworks kept on exploding overhead again and again, and Alfred marveled at them without the slight blur of glass separating him from them. He looked around at the shops and streets that they passed, and it was all going very well until a car full of teenage boys roared past on the street, the radio blaring. Alfred flinched back a bit at it. "Ahaha, can we go back now?" he asked nervously, shifting in the seat.

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur quickly went to comfort the other. "Of course, let's go," he murmured, turning Alfred around as he continued to stroke his hair.

"Thanks, Artie." Alfred smiled at him. They made it back without a hitch, and the merman sighed with relief when they were in the quiet of the elevator.

Still running his fingers through the blond hair then, Arthur relaxed a little himself leaning down and smiling a little. "Was it nice to get some, uh - relatively - fresh air for once, though?"

"Yeah, it was! And I'd really like to go out again, just maybe not when it's all crazy out there." Alfred smiled a little and pulled Arthur closer for a kiss.

"Of course," Arthur murmured, chuckling as he gladly fulfilled the silent request.

Alfred broke away from him regretfully once the elevator reached their floor. "Hey Arthur?" he asked as he wheeled himself into the house.

"Hm?" Arthur responded, following and closing the door behind him.

"I've changed my mind about the birthday shag. I want a birthday cuddle instead."

Laughing slightly, Arthur grinned at the other. "Are you sure?" he asked with a raised brow. "You only get birthday shags once a year, you know."

"No! I'll have a post-birthday shag tomorrow! I wanna cuddle with you tonight!" Alfred insisted, huffing and pouting.

"Heh, all right, all right," Arthur replied. "I'm fine with that."

"Really?" The merman immediately brightened. "Awesome! To the pool room!" The water in the container under the wheelchair sloshed around a bit as Alfred zoomed off.

Chortling softly, Arthur followed him, watching the excited merman with a smile. "Yes, yes... Don't get so excited when we're out in public, though."

"I know, I won't!" Alfred called back to him. He stopped the chair just in time to avoid rolling into the pool and flopped out. "Join me, join me!" he commanded when he was settled on the mattress.

So Arthur obediently made his way to the mattress, climbing onto it carefully.

Alfred immediately curled around him and, as promised, started cuddling. Throughout their session there were moments where the merman approached the line between intimately innocent and sexual - touches to the thighs and sometimes gentle rutting - but he always stopped before any problems arose as a result. The fireworks kept on booming outside well into the night, but man and merman only focused on each other. Nothing else existed beyond their little mattress sanctuary, and neither of them minded that in the slightest.

Alfred dropped off to sleep first, with Arthur following not long after. Arthur, however, was the first one to wake the next morning. He didn't have to wait long before Alfred stirred, and they had another mini cuddle session before breakfast. Alfred ate in the kitchen with Arthur that morning, something he nearly cried about out of happiness, and when he was done he softly excused himself and rolled into the library.

The notebook and pencils Arthur had gotten him were under his arm, and he took them out when he was settled. Opening the little journal, he set the tip of the pencil to the paper and thought for a long time. He had to write the best book ever for Arthur, but what to write about? After a while, it came to him.

And so Alfred slowly and meticulously started weaving the story of a lonely merman who found company in a grumpy man with caterpillars for eyebrows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it, guys. The end of the main story. And you thought I'd forget about the book, hah! The extras should come out relatively quickly, so be on the lookout for them!


	23. Extra 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is their date! Warning, there will be sex at the end of it~

* * *

Extra 1: The Date

* * *

 

Their date was set for the following week, on Tuesday. That was a quiet day, since it was just after Monday, and the weather was predicted to be nice then. Alfred grew more nervous the closer the day came. All Arthur had said was that it was going to be at a restaurant.

The day of, Alfred spent a good amount of time in the afternoon trying to decide what to wear. He knew it had to be a suit top, of course, but which one? Eventually he picked one and dressed, then settled into the chair and rolled it to the window to watch the streets below while he waited for Arthur to make his appearance.

A few minutes later than he'd like (but of course not a second later than specified), Arthur knocked at the doorframe with a small smile and leaned against it, clad in his best suit.

Alfred turned his chair around and gasped. "A-Arthur!" He wheeled forward and reverently touched Arthur's leg. "You look so nice, Artie!"

"Why, thank you," Arthur replied, smiling more and reaching a hand down to stroke the side of the merman's head. "You too, Alfred."

"But you more!" Alfred insisted.

Chuckling softly, Arthur shook his head a little, though he had a pleasant flush on his face. "Don't be silly, Alfred."

"I'm not!" Alfred ran his hands up Arthur's stomach and chest. "You look so hot..."

Arthur quirked a brow. "Well I'm glad you think so," he murmured.

"Of course I think so!" Alfred huffed. "So- So are we gonna go?"

"Heh, of course." Smiling softly, Arthur pressed a kiss to Alfred's head. "So do you want me to push you or?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." Alfred said with a small smile. He liked pushing himself, but in this situation he felt it would be more intimate or romantic- or something like that.

"All right," Arthur replied warmly, moving behind the chair to push Alfred out of the apartment and into the hallway. The elevator ride was comfortable and they were the only ones in it, so Alfred was relaxed. Arthur felt a thrum of happiness spread through him as they reached the street.

It was much quieter now, and Alfred looked around again eagerly, feeling much safer this time. "So where are we going?"

"I already told you, to a restaurant. It's a few streets away and it has a lot of food to choose from," Arthur said with a smile.

"Ah, okay!" Alfred looked up at him and smiled. "This is my first date ever, Artie! What about you?"

"Heh... You already know it's not my first date," Arthur murmured.

"Oh! Oh right... Well is it your first date with a merman?" Alfred had looked around and lowered his voice before saying the last word, just to make sure that no one else overheard them. While he was a bit bummed that he couldn't have the honor of being Arthur's first ever date, he still wanted to find a way that it would be special for the both of them.

Laughing a little, Arthur grinned down at Alfred. "Yes, oddly enough, it is."

"Oh, is it?" Alfred grinned back up at him. "Well that guy must be very lucky for you to like him."

Arthur gave a small chuckle, gently and playfully tapping the side of Alfred's head. "Don't be silly. And besides, I'm the one who's lucky."

"No! I am too!" Alfred insisted, grabbing Arthur's hand and kissing the fingers.

"Heh..." Arthur smiled at the action and wrapped his free fingers around the others'. "All right."

Giving a happy huff, Alfred pulled his head away and nodded. "Good. Now that that's settled, let's eat!"

"Yes, yes," Arthur replied, slowly leading them to the restaurant.

The restaurant was fancy and elegant, and Alfred looked around it in wonder. "This is pretty," he murmured. "It's not too expensive, is it?"

"Alfred..." Arthur murmured back, a small smile on his lips as he raised a brow. "That really doesn't matter."

"But- But I don't want you to spend too much on something like this!" Alfred bit his lip.

Chuckling a little, Arthur placed a hand on Alfred's head. "Alfred, really now... It's our first date, I don't mind. And besides, I have enough money anyway. It's about time I spent it on something other than rooms I don't use, hm?"

"W-Well if you wanna spend it on me..." Alfred flushed pleasantly.

A hostess came over to them, and a moment later led them to a secluded table in the corner. There were two chairs around it, but she took one of them away. Then, with a smile at the pair, she set down a menu for each of them and walked away.

Smiling, pleased as he perused over the menu, Arthur raised a brow at Alfred. "Is there anything you want to drink?"

"Um, do they have Coke?" Alfred wasn't really betting on that, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Both eyebrows rose at that, but Arthur decided not to comment on Alfred's hardly sophisticated request - it wasn't as if Arthur could expect the merman to be accustomed to nor abide by sophistication, anyway. "...They'll have some form of cola, I'm not sure if it'll be the brand," he answered.

"Oh..." Alfred chewed on his lip again, and then raised his eyes to Arthur's. "What would you suggest, then?"

Arthur smiled understandingly. "You can have the cola if you like, Alfred. But I don't... I'd tend to have a pot of tea before or after the meal, and wine - as long as it isn't French - or port during. But for you... Perhaps one of the fruit mixes or punches?"

"Okay!" The merman smiled at him. "Get me whichever one you want and I'll drink it!"

"All right." After calling the waitress over and ordering one of the juice punches and a pot of tea, Arthur settled back to look over the foods, smiling and nodding at the waitress when she placed a pitcher and a tea pot in front of them.

"Thank you!" Alfred chirped to her, then picked up his own menu. "Have you been here before?"

"A few times," Arthur replied with a nod. "...N-Never on a date, though."

"Well then I'm honored that I'm the first date you brought here," Alfred said, reaching across to take hold of Arthur's hand.

Arthur blinked, then looked up at the other and smiled softly, his hand turning to squeeze Alfred's. "Of course..."

"Mhm!" Grinning, Alfred nodded at the menu. "Now, since you've been here you know which food is the good food, right? Which food is the good food?"

Laughing again, Arthur hid his amused grin by looking down at the menu. "Well - ah - it depends what you feel like eating. I suppose you've not really tried anything here, so have a look and see if there's anything you thinks sounds good. If you don't know, I suppose we could order the same thing?"

"Hmm..." Glancing down the menu, Alfred's face brightened when he spotted a familiar name. "I want the salmon!"

"Heh, all right. Good choice," Arthur replied with a grin.

"Is it?" Alfred looked proud of himself.

"Of course. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"So what are you getting?"

"Ah, I'll probably go for the beef," Arthur said, folding his menu down.

When the waitress next came by they ordered the food, and once they were alone Alfred looked down at his twitching hands. "So... So what do people talk about when they're on a date?" He didn't want to disappoint Arthur at all that night.

"Just... Themselves, really. Or whatever they feel like," Arthur chuckled.

"Okay, so... Is there anything else you want to know about me?"

"Anything, really," Arthur said with a soft, reassuring smile. "Did you ever get told any stories as a child?"

"Oh, lots!" Alfred told him eagerly.

"Oh?" Arthur grinned a little, resting his chin in his hand. "Such as?"

"The monsters in the deep," Alfred replied, voice dropping an octave in seriousness.

"Ah... Why don't you tell it to me, hm?"

"We can't go into the really deep waters, like where the light doesn't reach to. Even though mermaids aren't really prey for any marine creatures, it's still dangerous for us to go down that deep. There are bad things there. Scary things," Alfred recounted. "My mom is the one who said it. She told about a legend of a young, pretty mermaid that had gotten curious and gone down, and then all they heard were screams and then silence..."

"Ooh, really? And did you ever go down there?"

"No! You think I have a death wish?" Alfred whisper-shouted.

"All right, all right, calm down," Arthur said with a chuckle. "You might have just wanted to be rebellious, that's all."

"...I went to like, the murky stage," Alfred admitted after a moment. "But only when I was older!"

"Heh, of course you did. How was it there?"

"Murky," Alfred said flatly. "And empty."

"Pfft- Well of course."

"Yeah, there weren't any animals there or anything, it was just grey. I didn't stick around for too long..." Alfred pursed his lips.

Arthur chuckled. "Aww, were you scared?"

"No!" Alfred huffed fiercely and pouted. "I just got bored!"

"Heh, of course. Not at  _all_  scared hm?" the Brit teased.

"No, no!" If Alfred had legs, he would have kicked the Brit. Lightly, of course. "It was getting boring!"

Arthur just chuckled, about to poke more fun at the poor merman before being interrupted by two steaming dishes of food.

Said poor merman was relieved, and instantly bit into the fish. He remembered to use the cutlery just in time. "So how is your dish?" he asked a few minutes later, giving the air a few discreet sniffs.

"Heh. It's very good," Arthur replied, raising a brow at the sniffs. "...How about yours? Is it all right for you?" he then asked, genuinely concerned.

Taking note of the new expression, Alfred softened his own face and nodded. "Yeah, it's really good too!"

The Englishman smiled, leaning back a little again, satisfied. "That's good, then."

"Yeah! Ooh, Artie, can we get dessert too?" Alfred asked hopefully. "I saw that happen on the TV and it looked really cute when they shared it."

Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly. "Of course we can," he replied with a smile.

"Really?" Alfred grinned brightly. "That brownie on the dessert menu sounded really good!"

"All right, do you want to try that one, then?"

"I would, yeah..." Alfred looked at him shyly.

Arthur raised a brow, grinning more. "Yes, yes, okay, we'll get it. But focus on your dinner now, hm?"

"Oh! Oh yes!" The merman nodded enthusiastically and cut out another piece of fish. "...Would you like some?"

"Mm, well I suppose if you're offering, I'll try it."

"I am offering!" Alfred held the fork out to him.

"All right then," the Brit replied, reaching forwards to take it.

Alfred's stomach tightened as he watched Arthur delicately take the piece of fish off the fork. Oh God, it wouldn't be good if he got hard here. The merman kept his eyes on Arthur's mouth and tilted his head a bit. "Is it good, Artie?"

Licking his lips daintily, Arthur gave a small, appreciative nod. "Very good," he murmured.

"Nnn..." Alfred let out a low groan when he saw a flash of that pink tongue. "I- I'm glad you like it," he whispered.

Arthur raised a brow as he noted Alfred's reaction, smirking a little. "Oh, I do," he said softly. "Do you want to try some of mine, hm?"

"Can I?" Alfred leaned forward a bit, his mouth open.

"Of course," Arthur said with a low chuckle, cutting a piece off and holding it out enticingly to the merman, biting his own lip as he did so.

Alfred was so absorbed in watching Arthur's lips that he didn't notice the food at first. "Oh-!" When he finally saw it, he blushed and quickly took it. "Thanks, Artie..."

"Heh, you're welcome... Does it taste good, Alfred?" The Brit asked in a murmur, a carefully trained, teasing smirk playing on his lips.

"Uh- Uh yes! It tastes- tastes very good!" Alfred stammered.

Grin stretching just a little wider, Arthur tilted his head slightly. "Mm, that's good."

"It is, isn't it?" Alfred laughed nervously and licked his own lips.

Leaning forwards over the table a little, Arthur hummed. "Hm? What is it?"

"N-Nothing!" Alfred squawked. "Why would anything be wrong?"

"Well you're a little red there," Arthur said with a chuckle, pressing a hand to Alfred's forehead. "Are you sure you haven't got a fever?"

"I'm fine!" The merman's voice was high, and he leaned back. "Perfectly fine don't worry about me!"

"Hm, all right," Arthur murmured with a small grin, sitting back and starting on meal again, eating it especially slowly and sensually and licking his lips every so often.

Noticing that, Alfred's nostrils flared. He tried very hard to control himself, but the next time he took a bite of his own food, it was with sharpened teeth.

After a few moments, Arthur noticed this, and he raised a brow. "Alfred," he whispered across the table. "I know you like the food, but you've got to keep it under control..."

"I know!" Alfred huffed and closed his eyes, only opening them when he was back to normal. "And it's not the food that's got me riled up and you know it, you meanie."

Ah, of course. Arthur chuckled softly, a small smirk spreading on his face once more. "Well perhaps if you keep the cool for the rest of it, I'll let you do as you please later, hm?"

"Anything I want to?"

"Absolutely."

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Kirkland." Alfred smiled coolly back, trying to appear unaffected by these new developments.

"Heh. Wonderful," Arthur murmured, leaning back with a slight grin.

With a satisfied nod, Alfred quickly finished his fish and grilled vegetables. It was a good meal, but he secretly preferred Arthur's food more. He loosened his tie a tiny bit as he pushed his plate away and nursed the remainder of his fruit punch. "Hurry up and eat so we can order dessert!"

"Yes, yes," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes, obediently scoffing down his meal and waiting for service to come take their plates away.

Before the waiter could vanish completely, Alfred quickly stopped him and ordered the dessert. When he was finished, the other man only smiled at him and nodded before vanishing. "Ah, I did it!" Alfred exclaimed softly, his eyes shining. "I ordered!"

Smiling warmly at the other, Arthur chuckled. "You did. Well done," he said, pleased for the other.

"Thanks, Artie!" Alfred couldn't stop smiling. It had been his first direct contact with a person other than Arthur or Gilbert or Matthew or Fritz, or even Ivan that one short time, and he had done well! Arthur even said so!

Arthur's smile grew, and after a moment, he reached a hand across to squeeze the merman's. "...I'm glad for you, Alfred." And God, how much he loved seeing Alfred so happy.

And the merman practically radiated happiness. His fingers curled tightly around Arthur's palm and he brought it up to his lips to kiss it. "Thank you, Artie, thank you so much... None of this would be possible if it weren't for the chair."

"Heh... Of course," Arthur mumbled back, his cheeks a little tinted with pink.

"Thank you," Alfred whispered, closing his eyes and nuzzling into Arthur's hand.

"It's all right," Arthur breathed back, smiling and stroking Alfred's cheek. "I wanted this for you- and for us."

Alfred practically melted then. He let out a great sigh and nuzzled fiercely into Arthur's hand. "I-I wanted this too."

"I know," Arthur murmured.

Alfred smiled widely then, and simply stared at Arthur. He was only interrupted and sat up when, a few minutes later, the waiter came back with their dessert. "Shall we share?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinked and looked over at Alfred, then smiled a little. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to have some, so all right."

"Couldn't hurt to have some?" Alfred frowned. "You said before we'd share!"

"Ah- Yes- I just don't tend to usually have a large dessert," Arthur replied.

"It's not that big..." Alfred looked dubiously at the dessert.

"Perhaps not for you, but I'm not so used to it."

"Well then." Alfred used his fork to cut off a piece of the mini brownie cake. "Open up!"

Glancing at it for a moment and flushing slightly (they were in public, after all), Arthur then leaned forwards a little in his seat, opening his mouth and closing his eyes to accept the food.

Alfred smiled when he took it. "Oh Artie... Is it good?"

"Mm... It is, actually, yes," Arthur said with a small smile, licking his lips to get stray crumbs and cream off - though his missed a bit of it by the corner of his mouth.

"That's good!" Alfred grinned more, then tilted his head. "Silly Arthur..." He reached forward and used his thumb to get the rest of the cream off. "You missed a spot," he said, licking the cream off his finger happily.

Eyes widening a little, Arthur turned red, staring at Alfred with an open mouth and hoping nobody else had noticed. "U-Uh..."

"Hmm? What is it?" Alfred's bright expression wavered. "W-Was I not supposed to do that?" He had seen it happen on TV, and the man there had had a completely different reaction.

"N-No, it's fine," the Brit mumbled.

Alfred's face fell even more, and he picked at the cake with his fork. "But 'it's fine' as in 'it was okay for you to do that', or 'you shouldn't have done that but it's done with so whatever'?"

Arthur blinked as he looked up at Alfred. "Wh- No, it's okay."

"I-If you're sure..." The merman still looked hesitant, though he tried to be cheery. "Sorry I ruined the mood, Artie. Heh, guess I just overthought it and that was bad but I'll try to do better for the rest of it!"

"A-Alfred..." Arthur leaned forwards ever so slightly, shifting a little. "It's all right..."

"Okay." Alfred smiled a little more. "I'll stop thinking about it," he said, then shoved some cake into his mouth.

"All right," Arthur mumbled, watching him.

Swallowing, Alfred gazed back. "What is it? Would you like some more?"

Thinking for a moment, Arthur tilted his head. "Actually, I think I would..."

"Ah, okay!" The merman hastily cut away some more of the cake and offered it to him.

Arthur carefully ate the proffered piece and licked his lips clean again, once more missing a spot - although this time on purpose.

Alfred saw it and lowered his gaze a bit. "Artie, y-you've got uhh...something."

Unsatisfied, Arthur took Alfred's hand with a small huff and pulled it to his cheek, looking up at the merman.

"Ah-!" Alfred slowly wiped the excess cream away, but kept his hand where it was. "You did that on purpose, Artie..."

"Of course," Arthur replied quietly, holding Alfred's hand in place. "If you did something I think you shouldn't, I would tell you."

"Okay." Alfred gently pressed his creamy finger against Arthur's lips. "Thank you," he whispered.

Arthur smiled a little against it, before licking the cream off his lover's finger.

"Ah, Artie! Your tongue feels so nice..."

"Heh, what?" Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"Your tongue! It feels nice against my finger," Alfred declared. He moved his hand then, but only so that it could cup Arthur's cheek.

Arthur laughed a little more and leaned into it. "You are a silly lad..." he murmured, almost in wonder.

"I am?" Smiling, Alfred rubbed his thumb over Arthur's cheek. "How?"

"Saying things like that... It's cute."

"I'll always be cute for you!"

"Heh. Good." Arthur grinned softly. "Now finish up your food, hm?"

"Okay! So you don't want anymore?"

"No, I'm all right, thank you, dear."

Smiling even more at 'dear', Alfred was quick to scoff up the rest of the cake. "So can we go home now? I wanna do stuff with you!"

"Heh, yes, yes," Arthur said, smiling as he watched the other.

Alfred lit up happily. "Okay! Let's go then! Get the bill!"

Smile growing at the merman's face, Arthur called their waiter over to take the bill - and a generous tip - and of course collect their after-dinner mints. "Ready then Alfred?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" Alfred rolled himself away from the table and started back home.

"All right," Arthur said, following after Alfred and keeping a hand on the handle of the chair.

"Was that a good date, Arthur?" Alfred asked, glancing at him when they were stopped at an intersection. "Did I do well?"

"You did," Arthur replied with a smile, stroking Alfred's hair softly and then kissing the top of it. "It was very nice."

"I'm glad you thought so!" Alfred looked immensely proud of himself.

"Heh. What about you, hm?"

"Arthur..." Alfred looked down again and squeezed one of Arthur's hands tightly. "It means so much to me that we're even able to do this, and I thought it was one of the best things I've ever done."

Arthur's smile grew, and he squeezed back gently. "...That's good," he said quietly.

The light turned green, and Alfred smiled too. "Now let's go home!" he said, and rolled off again.

"Heh, yes," Arthur said with a grin, chasing after the merman and following him home.

Alfred pulled Arthur down and started kissing him the moment they reached the calm and quiet of the elevator. His hands wrapped around Arthur's shoulders and pulled the Brit close, and he smiled as their lips met.

Green eyes widened a little in surprise, but Arthur soon kissed back, his eyes slipping shut as a hand came up to the back of Alfred's head and tangled in his hair.

The few moments in the elevator had never been put to better use, Alfred thought, and the merman was disappointed when they reached their floor. But it was also good because they were home, and that meant that they could do more. Still keeping Arthur on his lap, Alfred quickly rolled to the pool room, only stopping so Arthur could lock the door behind them.

Once they were in, Arthur shifted his body closer to the other's, his legs hanging over the sides of the chair as he leaned down to kiss Alfred more.

"Arthur- Arthur, oh-!" Alfred gasped into the kiss, his arms tightening around the human's body.

Arthur let out a small hum as he pulled back a just fraction, his breath ghosting over Alfred's lips.

But Alfred wouldn't let him get out of the kiss that easily and chased Arthur's lips so they were kissing again.

Gasping slightly at the contact, Arthur's eyes slipped shut and he pressed back, hand coming up to the sides of Alfred's neck and jaw.

The wheelchair came to a gentle halt, which was the only thing that dragged Alfred away from the kiss. "Floor," he rasped. "Now."

"Ah- y-yes..." Arthur breathed, standing and pulling Alfred with him, helping him out of the chair.

Almost immediately Alfred lay down in the ground and pulled Arthur on top of him. "Let's get those clothes off, hmm?"

"Mm, all right..." the Brit murmured back, fingers already trailing down the buttons on the front of Alfred's shirt.

"Take me, Artie!" Alfred spread his body for the Brit.

Arthur glanced up at Alfred for a moment, then proceeded to pull of Alfred's jacket and tie, and quickly unbutton his shirt.

"Ah- Arthur, oh God Arthur!" Alfred's cock was already half out, and he moaned wantonly.

The merman's reaction even made Arthur start to get hot and bothered, and he let out a shiver of a breath as he ran a hand down Alfred's toned chest.

"You like my body?" Alfred whispered to him.

Eyes once more flicking to Alfred's, Arthur's hand paused, his thumb gently caressing the skin there. "Of course," he mumbled.

"Good. Cuz I like yours too." Too impatient for carefully undoing every single button, Alfred simply ripped the clothing off of him again.

Arthur himself gasped softly, torn between fretting over the state of his clothes and really not caring because  _maybe_  he found it just a little bit of a turn on. "Alfred-" he breathed, leaning down and quickly pressing his lips to the other's.

The merman kissed back eagerly, his hands running up and down Arthur's bare sides.

"Mmh..." Arthur deepened the kiss, his eyes slipping shut as a hand moved up to tangle in Alfred's hair.

Alfred let out a long moan at that, arching into the man. "Arthur- Oh, Arthur! Hurry up and put it- do  _something_!"

"You're impatient," Arthur murmured, kissing down Alfred's jaw and neck and gently grinding his hips against the other.

"I ah! I am! I want you in me or me in you just something!" Alfred cried, thrusting his hips back up into Arthur as best as he was able to.

Groaning slightly, Arthur moved his kisses to trail down the front of Alfred's body, leaving a few nips as he did so. "All right, all right," he murmured, reaching the merman's cock and leaning down to take the tip into his mouth.

Pleasure spread all over Alfred's body, and his breath came in ragged pants. "Arthur- Arthur oh God yes!" His eyes closed and his hand reached down to brush and tangle in the other's hair.

Sucking the tip shortly, Arthur then lowered himself, bobbing his head on Alfred's cock, his eyes flicking up to Alfred's.

Alfred very nearly came then, but at the last second he managed to hold himself back. However, the eye contact the two were having increased his pleasure tenfold, and through his pants Alfred managed to smile.

Smiling a little himself at the other's pleasure, Arthur let his tongue swirl around the organ in his mouth as he unbuttoned his pants, only pausing to slick up his fingers on his free hand before continuing his ministrations on Alfred.

Continuous mewls and whimpers kept pouring from Alfred's mouth. His eyes closed and he thrust his hips up more.

Letting out a surprised hum, Arthur closed his eyes and took in the extra length of cock Alfred had pressed into him, letting himself relax as wet fingers traveled down to prepare himself.

But Alfred suddenly sat up. "No! I wanna do that!"

Arthur blinked and looked up at the other, pausing. "Ah... Go ahead," he murmured, smiling a little.

"Okay." Pulling him closer, Alfred gently stuck his finger into Arthur's entrance.

"Nn..." Arthur's hand came up to grip at Alfred's chest, his breath shuddering as he allowed himself to relax into it.

"Yeah, that's it Artie..." Alfred murmured, stroking the inside muscles.

Eyes slipping shut, Arthur gave a small moan at the feeling, leaning more into the other.

"You like this?" Alfred gave a slightly harder prod inside.

"Nnh... Yes," Arthur breathed, burying his nose into Alfred's neck. After a moment he started leaving kisses there, wanting to keep Alfred pleasured at the same time.

"Ah!" Alfred appreciated the efforts and rewarded Arthur with another finger.

Letting out a loud gasp, Arthur clung tighter to the merman, biting gently down and sucking on his neck as a means of distraction.

Alfred continued stretching him, putting more force behind his fingers when he found Arthur's prostate.

Arthur moaned wantonly against Alfred's skin, and he pressed down into the feeling, thrusting slightly onto Alfred's fingers.

"Almost ready there, Artie," Alfred whispered to him, stroking that little sweet spot.

"Ah- yes, Alfred-" the Brit gasped, pressing himself as close to Alfred as possible.

"I'm here, Artie," Alfred murmured, his free hand stroking up Arthur's sides. "I'll take care of you."

Sighing in pleasure, Arthur panted against Alfred's neck, unable to stop himself pressing back against the merman's fingers. "Mm... H-Hurry..."

At that, Alfred smirked wickedly and slowed his movements, wanting to draw it out.

"Nn... A-Alfred-" Arthur moaned softly, fingers tightening their hold.

"Beg for it, Artie," Alfred whispered hotly into the Brit's ear. "Beg for my fishy cock."

Arthur shivered, brow creasing a little in confusion at Alfred's words, but he was too distracted by all the other sensations surrounding his to consider it properly. "Alfred, please..."

"Please what?"

"F-Fuck me..." Arthur got out.

"Do you really want that, Artie?"

Clinging tighter to Alfred, Arthur groaned softly. "Please..." he breathed. "For God's sake, please fuck me."

"Okay, since you asked so nicely." Alfred pressed a kiss to Arthur's forehead and removed his fingers. Lubing his cock up, the merman grabbed the Brit's hips and thrust in.

"A-Ah-!" Eyes flying open, Arthur moaned, holding himself there and shifting his hips slightly in Alfred's lap as he adjusted to the sudden intrusion.

"You okay there, Artie?" Alfred whispered, stroking his lover's back as he allowed him a moment to adjust.

Humming in assent, Arthur stayed for a few moments before leaning back a little, starting to move his hips.

"Ah!" Finding that Arthur's movements were pleasurable enough on their own, Alfred only thrust back a tiny bit.

Letting out a small moan, Arthur gradually sped up, his hands at Alfred's sides as he rode the merman, too focused on his hip movements to do anything else at the moment.

Occasionally Alfred would let out loud moans and thrust harder into him, his fingernails scrabbling against Arthur's back.

"A-Ah, Alfred-" Arthur panted, his hand cupping the other's cheek as he bucked his own hips more fiercely, his lidded eyes meeting his lovers'.

"Arthur! My Arthur!" Alfred cried back, gazing at Arthur with overflowing love.

Caressing his cheek a few more moments, Arthur then leaned down to fiercely kiss Alfred. Surprised, Alfred at first stayed frozen in place. He quickly gathered himself, though, and kissed back. Arthur moaned softly into the kiss, his eyes slipping shut as he continued jerking his hips.

"Come- Come on Artie!" Alfred panted, pulling away so he could bite down on Arthur's neck.

"Hah-" Arthur shuddered, his cock twitching as it flushed with heat, and he tilted his head back, clinging to Alfred's shoulders.

Thrusting more harshly again, Alfred grinned, baring sharp teeth. "Come, Arthur!"

"Nn, A-Alfred-" A low whine escaped Arthur's mouth at the sensations, and he gripped Alfred's shoulders tightly, his nails digging in to find purchase as his movements became more erratic. Eventually he came with a loud cry, spilling over their stomachs and then collapsing onto Alfred.

But Alfred wasn't done, and he continued pounding away into the Brit until, a few moments later, he himself came inside. Once he'd ridden out his orgasm he groaned and fell back into a laying position.

Arthur, still panting and twitching slightly, nuzzled into the merman, clinging gently to him and closing his eyes.

"Was that good?" Alfred asked, as he always did. He wanted to make sure he'd pleasured Arthur.

"...It was," Arthur whispered once he'd got his breathing under control, stroking the skin under his thumb gently.

"I'm glad," Alfred whispered back, looking up at Arthur with loving eyes.

"Yes..." the Brit breathed, lost in those eyes. "What about you?"

Smiling more, Alfred reached up with a hand and caressed Arthur's cheek. "I loved it. Same as I love you."

Arthur sighed softly, his own mouth falling into a small smile. "That's good," he whispered, pecking Alfred on the lips. "...And I love you too."

"I'm glad..." Alfred whispered. Then, his face screwed up in concentration and he placed his fingertips on the edges of Arthur's mouth. "Smile more," he breathed as he tugged upwards.

Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly. "What?"

"I like your smile!"

"Heh... Well I'm glad," Arthur murmured, lips twitching up a little more.

"Yes, yes!" Alfred's eyes widened happily, and he tugged up even more. "Smile for me, Arthur!"

Laughing more at the merman's actions, Arthur grinned fondly at him.

"There it is," Alfred murmured, reverence filling his voice. He himself smiled more and then rested his head against Arthur's shoulders. "Oh, can you believe how far I've come? A couple of months ago I was too shy to take food from you, heh..."

"Heh, indeed," Arthur agreed with a chuckle. "And you were barely able to talk to me."

"Oh my God-" Alfred groaned, flushing and happy that his face was hidden in Arthur's shoulder. "You must have thought me so stupid."

"Heh, definitely." Arthur smiled a little, giving Alfred a slight squeeze. "But I also thought you were quite cute."

Alfred smiled again and nuzzled to Arthur's neck. "I'm glad you thought so!" He moved closer to the man, ignoring the squelching sound of their bodies rubbing against each other.

Humming happily, Arthur's eyes slipped shut. "I still do," he said quietly.

"Well then..." Alfred snuggled close to his human. "I will always try to be cute for you."

Arthur grinned softly and kissed the skin below his lips. "Good. And... Thank you for today, Alfred."

"No need to thank me, Arthur. I wanted it too."

"I know. But even so." Arthur kissed him more. "It was a nice night."

"I ah- I know." Cooing, Alfred settled into the kisses. "I wanna do more nights like this, lots more!"

"We will," Arthur murmured back happily.

"Will we be able to do it soon?" Alfred questioned, looking hesitant and hopeful all at once.

"Of course." Arthur smiled and stroked Alfred's hair. "Whenever you like."

"Really?" The merman's eyes widened happily. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"That's- That's good, Artie. I'm glad..." Alfred whispered, snuggling close to him and closing his eyes. "Can we sleep now?"

"Sure," Arthur murmured back, happily leaning into the other. "...I love you, Alfred."

"I love you too, Arthur."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that for the first extra! There were four planned, but there might actually be five eheh... Also, depending on how I rearrange everything around, there's going to be two or three more chapters. But the story should be completely finished by Sunday!


	24. Extra 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the second one! There's gonna be some sexual content here, but not too much. About a year has passed since their date, so Alfred's passed his 21st birthday!

* * *

 Extra 2: Domesticity

* * *

By the following August, the two of them had long settled in into a comfortable routine. Arthur got a spare bed and desk and even a refrigerator that he placed in the pool room, and it was rare that the Brit didn't sleep there. Alfred was ecstatic about that, of course, though usually he managed to connive Arthur into sleeping on the mattress with him.

That particular Thursday morning found Alfred in his wheelchair in the kitchen, trying his hand at making pancakes. He'd slowly started taking over the cooking at the house as he grew more confident in his skills and more used to moving in the chair. By that point, he could do almost anything Arthur did.

The merman hummed as he flipped the last one and moments later slid it onto a plate. The two identical stacks, along with tea, coffee, syrup, and butter, were then moved to a tray and placed in Alfred's lap. Arthur was hard at work already, but he hadn't eaten yet and Alfred was determined to change that.

He rolled carefully to the study and opened the door. The Brit, typing away at his computer, didn't hear him. Or if he did, he didn't give any indication. Alfred put the tray on a table by the door and silently rolled forward. When he was in reach, he quickly wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and heaved the man into his lap.

The Brit jumped at this (despite how used to it he should have been), his eyes widening as he attempted to turn to look at the other. "A-Alfred, what are you-?!"

"My Artie's been working hard all morning!" Alfred declared, rubbing his cheek against Arthur's. "So I made you breakfast!"

"Well that's very nice, but I am rather busy," Arthur mumbled, trying to ignore the tantalizing smells wafting over. "You know I haven't had time to eat."

"No!" Alfred huffed and pouted at his lover. "Arthur, you gotta eat! I'm not takin' no for an answer!" And just to prove his point, he tightened his grip on the man.

"Ah- all right, all right, I'll eat," Arthur replied, planning to just scoff it down as quickly as possible. When he saw what the merman had prepared, however, he lost all resolve to do so and sighed softly. "Oh, Alfred..." he murmured, a hand reaching up behind him to cup the other's cheek.

"Hmm?" Alfred asked, leaning into the touch. He saw the look on Arthur's face and filled with immense pride. "I just wanna make sure you're okay. Heck, I think if I wasn't here half the time you'd work yourself until you passed out." He huffed again, and leaned forward to press a kiss to Arthur's temple.

"Well it looks lovely," Arthur said with a small smile, leaning back into the other.

"I'm glad you think so!" Alfred grinned back widely at him, rolling closer to the table. "I only messed up flipping one of the pancakes this time!"

"Oh, really?" Arthur leaned back to give Alfred a quick peck. "Well done."

"Yes, yes!" The merman cooed happily at the kiss. "Are you proud of me?"

"Very proud," Arthur said with a small chuckle.

"That's good! I wanna make you so proud!" Alfred hugged him tightly.

"Ah- heh, yes-" Leaning into it a little, Arthur's smile grew. "Now let's eat, hm? I am a busy man."

Alfred's eyes suddenly widened pitifully. "Too busy to even enjoy breakfast with your lover?"

"Don't be silly, of course not."

"Good! Then we'll eat nice and slow!"

"Right, right, come on," Arthur replied with a slight chuckle.

"Okay. Do you wanna stay on my lap? Or we could always move the plate to your desk!"

"How would we eat if I'm on your lap, hm?" Arthur murmured.

"Oh." True. "To the desk, then! Take the tray!"

Chuckling and shaking his head a little, Arthur picked the tray up to move to his desk.

Alfred carefully rolled them over and took it from him to place on top of the polished wooden surface. "Go on your chair for now?"

"Of course," Arthur said with a smile, sidling over to his own chair and taking the knife and fork.

The merman was quick to drown his stack with butter and syrup, and soon enough he was working on munching through it. Occasionally he would look at Arthur and smile. "Are they good?"

Smiling back, Arthur nodded. "They are, thank you."

"Then I'm happy!" Finishing up with his stack a few moments later, Alfred leaned his head against Arthur's arm. "Tell me when you're done!"

"Yes, yes," Arthur said, rolling his eyes and quickly eating the rest. "There..."

Immediately after that, Alfred had pulled the Brit back onto his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around the trim waist. "Good. And now we cuddle more!"

"Wha- A-Alfred, I need to work..."

"Nope!" Alfred shook his head cheerfully. "Artie, I know your company's taking off a bit with the latest couple of books, but  _you_  need to take some time off for yourself too," he murmured, pressing soft kisses to Arthur's neck and shoulders.

"Well... Y-Yes, but..." Arthur tried to protest, even as he leaned back into the other slightly.

And in that instant, Alfred knew that he'd won. Again. "C'mon, Artie," he purred, letting his teeth brush ever so gently against the pale skin. "An hour or two or relaxation won't cause the end of the world..."

"I know it wouldn't but- ah- but I've got a company to run..." Arthur's arguments were weak and whispered, however, and he shivered a little at Alfred's touches, his eyelids fluttering shut for a moment.

"Well you've also got an aquatic boyfriend to please!" Alfred murmured, just because he could. He knew Arthur was too far gone anyway.

"Mm... Yes, but still."

"Well I'm not letting you go, so I guess you'll just have to deal with it," Alfred murmured into his ear.

"A-Ah... Will I now?" Arthur mumbled back, still trying to resist with everything he could muster up.

"Yeah, you will." Alfred licked gently behind Arthur's ear lobe and nibbled on it.

And then Arthur was done for - he let out a sigh and practically melted. "Oh damn you," he muttered with the tiniest shred of dignity he had left. "All right, just an hour..."

"Damn me?" Alfred let out a breezy laugh. "Nah, you wanna  _fuck_  me." He grinned.

Arthur turned his head a little, his eyes flicking up to Alfred as he let out a small huff. "...I hate you," he mumbled as he pulled Alfred down into a kiss.

Chuckling into the kiss, Alfred wrapped his arms more tightly around Arthur's body. "Mhmmm.."

The Brit closed his eyes as he deepened the kiss, pulling Alfred's head a little closer as he did so. He barely had to, though, because once Alfred got the message, he eagerly moved closer on his own. After a while though, Arthur got bored of the relatively 'chaste' kisses and pressed forwards more, running his tongue along Alfred's lips.

"Heh." Alfred pulled away for a moment. "Impatient, aren't we?" he murmured before diving back in with eager tongue and open lips.

Arthur growled softly at the comment, pressing his tongue into the other's mouth as soon as he was able.

That only induced more chuckles from Alfred, but then he was too busy moaning to do anything else. His fingers tangled in Arthur's messy hair and his tongue flicked out to press against the Brit's.

"Mmh..." Arthur let out a small groan of his own, his tongue pressing back and swirling around Alfred's a little.

Alfred couldn't help thinking, as he continued kissing his lover as fiercely as he could, that these were the best times. Just him and Arthur, in some room of the house, pressed up against each other and lapping up the warmth that the other provided. There was both nothing special in these moments, and yet they felt like the most special of all. The merman suddenly jolted himself out of those pensive thoughts and thrust his own tongue into Arthur's mouth. There would be time for reflection later. Now he had to figure out how to distract Arthur for the next couple of hours.

The movement elicited a gasp from the Brit and his fist clenched in Alfred's hair, he himself pressing back as much as he could.

Finally, a few minutes later, Alfred pulled away and instead leaned his forehead on Arthur's. "Artie..."

Arthur's eyes fluttered open after a moment, once his pants had faded away, and he looked up at the merman. "Hm?"

Eyes widening, Alfred's breath caught for a moment. "I-I'm so happy, Arthur," he whispered.

"You are?" Arthur murmured back with a slight smile.

"Yeah. I'm so, so happy here with you." Alfred shuffled closer, so that every available ounce of skin that  _could_  touch was doing so. "I've told you that before, but I don't think I'll ever stop. Those couple of days way back when... Those days filled with fear and pain..." The merman smiled. "They were so worth it, if I can spend the rest of my life with someone as amazing as you."

"Oh, Alfred... I'm not all that," Arthur whispered back, a warm smile spreading across his face despite his protests. "But I'm glad you think that way."

"But you are all that, Artie. You mean so much to me... And you did so much so that I could be happy."

"Well of course I did," Arthur murmured. "I want you to be happy."

"I am." Alfred hugged him tightly, peppering his neck with a multitude of small kisses. "You make me happy."

"Well I'm glad," Arthur murmured, leaning into it with a small chuckle.

"Do- Do I make you happy?"

"Of course you do," Arthur whispered, tipping his head back to smile up at Alfred and reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek. "A thousand times over."

"Really?" Alfred's eyes shone with warmth. "C-Could you tell me how?" he asked, leaning into the hand.

"Just by being around," the Brit murmured. "Being your usual charming, lovely self, and doing things like this for me when I'm busy with work, and being here and putting up with me." Arthur chuckled slightly. "And so many other immeasurable ways. It's amazing, really, how much of an impact you've made on my simple life."

Alfred smiled, and there were happy tears in his eyes. "Oh Arthur... You're wrong about one thing though."

"Hm?" Arthur frowned slightly, tilting his head.

"I don't gotta 'put up with you' or anything." The smile broadened. "I love spending time with you, and if I could I'd never leave your side even for a second."

Arthur blinked, then a grin spread on his face, unstoppable no matter how hard he tried. "Oh, you dolt," he said warmly.

"But I'm your dolt!" Alfred declared, snuggling to the man happily.

"Heh, that you are," Arthur murmured, reaching up more to ruffle the merman's hair.

Purring, Alfred leaned into him. His hands moved to the back of Arthur's head and he forced it down, so it was buried in the crook of his neck. "Artie, my Artie..." he murmured, as he ever so slowly started rolling backwards, away from the desk.

"Ah-" Startled at first, Arthur then closed his eyes and nuzzled into it with a small hum. "Yes, yes..." he said quietly, unaware of his own current kidnapping.

"All mine... Arthur, oh Arthur, I love you so much," Alfred continued crooning into the Brit's ear, internally cheering when they made it out the door. He smoothly maneuvered them into a forwards position and started to the pool room.

"Mm, I love you too," Arthur murmured, frowning slightly as he wondered why Alfred was moving.

To distract him, Alfred bit down harshly on Arthur's neck, sucking at the spot to make a hickey and wrapping his arms more tightly around the man's torso.

"A-Ah-" Arthur's arms tightened at the feeling, fingers gripping him tighter and burying his own face further into the merman's neck at the feeling.

Smiling victoriously, Alfred let go of the flesh, immediately moving to a different spot.

"Nn- Alfred..." Arthur murmured, his head tilting to allow it.

"Hmm?" Alfred pulled back briefly.

"What are you?" Arthur asked, starting to bring his head up to peer at the merman.

"Artie!" Alfred cried, kissing him fiercely.

Eyes widening for just a moment in surprise, they then closed again as the Brit leaned into it.

Internally sighing with relief, Alfred kissed him until they made it past the doors of the pool room.

"Ah... Alfred," the Brit breathed when they pulled apart, his eyes still gently shut.

"Yeah, that's me," Alfred murmured back to him. "I'm here..."

Smiling softly, Arthur finally opened his eyes, blinking up at the other.

"I'm right here, Artie..." Alfred gazed right at those big green eyes, smiling and rubbing Arthur's back gently.

"Heh, I noticed." Arthur smiled back, then shivered slightly. "It's a little chilly suddenly..."

"O-Oh, is it?" Alfred quickly wrapped his arms more around Arthur. "Must be a cold draft or somethin'..."

"Ah... Yes, it must be," Arthur mumbled, turning his head to glance around.

Quickly cupping Arthur's cheek, Alfred turned his attention back onto himself. "Hey, I'll keep you warm!"

"A-Ah... Okay."

"Yeah! You just relax and leave it all to me," Alfred said, smiling and rubbing all over Arthur's arms and back to warm him up.

"Mm, all right," Arthur murmured, closing his eyes and leaning into it.

As he rubbed, Alfred also dug his fingers into Arthur's flesh, giving him a little impromptu massage.

Humming softly, Arthur pressed back into it.

"You like?" Alfred murmured.

"Mm, I do..."

"Good! I'm glad, Artie! We'll cuddle for a long, long time and you'll be happy!"

"Of course... One hour, remember?"

"No, you said two!"

Arthur chuckled slightly. " _You_  said two."

"Well you're getting two anyway!"

"Wha- I-I will need to work, you know."

"You needa relax first though!"

"Yes, yes, I know," Arthur said with a small huff. "I will."

"That's good," Alfred purred.

"Yes," Arthur murmured, leaning back a little to look at the merman properly and raise a hand to cup his cheek. He couldn't help but notice, however the walls - a different color to the ones in his study - and he frowned slightly, then glanced around. "...Alfred?"

The merman was grinning smugly. "Yeeees?"

"...Why are we in the pool room?"

"Cuz I kidnapped you!" Alfred looked immensely proud of himself.

"You... You brought me to the pool room?" Arthur shifted impatiently. "A-Alfred, I need to be near my work."

The expression slipped. "No, Arthur! In order to really relax you gotta be away from it!"

"I-I..." Arthur looked agitatedly towards the door, then glanced back at Alfred. "...I know," he eventually conceded in a mumble.

Alfred's face was downright pitiful. "We've barely spent more than an hour together these past few weeks, not counting sleep..."

Arthur blinked, then cast his eyes downwards for a moment, raising them only when he brought a hand up to rest on Alfred's cheek. "I'm sorry, Alfred," he said quietly.

"It's okay," Alfred said with a small smile, leaning into the hand. "But can we have some more time together now?"

"...All right," Arthur replied, smiling a little back.

"R-Really?" Alfred could barely believe it. He brightened and hugged Arthur tightly. "You're the best, Artie!"

"Ah..." Chuckling slightly, Arthur wrapped his own arms around the merman. "Ridiculous as always..."

"And you're mean as always!"

"Wha- how am I?" Arthur asked, affronted. "And I just said I'd stay for you!"

"Artie, I was kidding," Alfred whispered, kissing up the Brit's jaw. "You know, like I playfully call you 'meanie' and stuff..."

"I know," Arthur said with a small huff, tilting his head to allow the kisses. "Good."

"Heh, Artie, Artie..." Alfred continued with the kisses as he spoke.

After a while they moved to the floor, curling up together with shared kisses and touches. Alfred massaged him again, and they watched TV for a while. Time flew by, and later the merman gleefully pointed out that it was time for lunch.

Blinking, Arthur looked up at the clock. "Blimey- It is!" He said, scrambling up. "Ah... Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?"

"Something simple, but you know what I really wanna do with you?" Alfred's eyes took on a pleading hint.

"Hm?" Arthur looked down at Alfred, taking in his body language and facial expression. "...What?"

"I wanna bake cookies with you!"

Arthur's eyebrows rose, then he chuckled slightly. "We can do that."

"Awesome! Let's go!" Alfred wriggled excitedly to his chair. "...Can you help me up?"

"Of course," Arthur said, holding his hand out to help the other into his chair.

Once he was settled firmly, Alfred smiled. Not to mention the food, baking cookies would take another hour or so that would keep Arthur away from his desk! "Let's go, then!"

"Yes, yes," Arthur said with a small grin. "So, ah, what do we need?"

"Well I want chocolate chip cookies!"

"...Right. So you don't know what we need other than that?" Arthur shook his head with a sigh. "I'll find a recipe on my phone."

"Go ahead!" Alfred meanwhile rolled over to the cabinets to get the basics- chocolate chips, flour, the two sugars, baking powder and soda, vanilla and eggs. "Anything else?"

"Uh... No, that seems about right."

"All right!" And they got to cooking, though it wasn't too long before Alfred got bored and flicked some flour at the Brit.

Blinking in surprise, Arthur's head whipped round to look at Alfred as he sputtered. "Wh-Wh?"

But Alfred only sat in his wheelchair, looking innocent.

"What are you-?!" Huffing, Arthur scowled and flicked some back.

"What- Arthur!" Alfred squealed, bringing his arms up to protect himself. "That was mean!"

"Well you hit me first!" The Brit huffed back.

Alfred mock-gasped. "I did not!"

Arthur simply raised an unamused brow. "Well, there's flour on my shirt."

"W-Well I don't know how that go there," Alfred replied, a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, of course not." The Brit sighed, tilting his head. "...I think you should lick it off."

Alfred's eyebrow shot right up. "Lick it off? It's  _flour_. Not the sexiest thing..."

"I'm not doing it to be  _sexy_ , I'm doing it because you got flour on my bloody shirt, so you should clean it off."

Pouting, Alfred rolled closer to him. Oh, so Arthur didn't want sexy, huh? The merman leaned forward and gently ran his tongue over the portion of Arthur's stomach that had flour on it.

Watching him do it with satisfaction, Arthur leaned into it slightly.

In reality Alfred was lapping up barely any of the flour, and his head was travelling slowly but surely downwards. Pretty soon, he had reached Arthur's waist and was undoing the Brit's pants with his teeth.

Blinking, Arthur's eyes widened a little when he noticed, and his cheeks flushed a little. "Alfred?" he questioned.

"Hmm?" Alfred asked, not slowing.

"Wh-What are you doing?!"

"I'm cleaning the flour off, like you told me. You got a bit right here," the merman told him easily.

"I don't remember seeing any there," Arthur replied, unconvinced.

"Well you just didn't look properly enough," Alfred said, huffing and finally getting the pants open. He happily shoved his nose and mouth into the hole, nosing at Arthur's cock over his boxers.

"Ah-" Shivering slightly, Arthur took a deep breath. "R-Really now?"

"Mhm!" Alfred's voice was slightly muffled by the fabric. "Got all the way in here." The merman placed his mouth over the clothed tip once he'd sought it out and gave a small suck.

"Mm... I'm not sure it did..." the Brit murmured, his face turning darker.

"Well I say it did!" Alfred's hands moved around to grasp Arthur's butt, and he pulled the Brit's hips closer to himself. "C'mon, Artie, lemme pleasure you a little," he whispered hotly.

"Alfred..." The Brit whispered, breath shivering as he pressed back into the touch. "Oh, all right."

"Really?" Pulling back, Alfred grinned up at him hopefully.

"Well you've already started," Arthur mumbled.

"Oh come on, don't look so unwilling..." Alfred's hands gently massaged Arthur's butt.

Arthur raised a brow, humming softly at the feeling. "Well then you'll just have to convince me, hm?"

"I will!" Pulling Arthur down for a brief kiss, Alfred then resumed his ministrations to Arthur's cock.

"Ah-" Arthur shuddered softly at this, watching the merman work.

"Mmm. Artie..." Alfred gently pulled the cotton fabric down, freeing the organ and nuzzling to it gently.

Letting out a tiny moan, Arthur's fingers went down to rest on the side of Alfred's head.

Heh, so Arthur was slowly cracking. Leaning into the touch, Alfred took the Brit into his mouth again and swirled his tongue around him. Cock twitching, Arthur let out a small cry at this, quickly stifling it as he pressed forwards a little. Alfred obligingly opened his mouth and took more of him in, looking up at the man with bright eyes.

"Christ- Alfred-" Arthur hissed, feeling himself starting to get hard in the other's mouth.

"Hmm?" Alfred hummed, his mouth stretching into a slight smile.

"Just-" Arthur hesitated giving in, then huffed. "G-Get on with it, will you?" he got out.

"But Artie, I wanna make you feel good! And not in a hurried way!" Alfred said, pulling back for a moment to pout. Then, he put his mouth back over the cock and worked to make Arthur feel good.

Groaning softly at the pleasure, Arthur leaned back, the hand on Alfred's head tangling in his hair and his other finding purchase on the counter behind him.

The merman bobbed softly on Arthur's cock, letting out quiet moans of pleasure as the warm organ thickened and throbbed in his mouth. His eyes also closed and his hands tightened on Arthur's ass.

"Nn... God..." Arthur murmured, his own eyes closing as he tilted his head back. Tightening and pulling on Alfred's hair, the Brit couldn't help but thrust forward gently.

At first letting out a half-choked gasp, Alfred quickly accepted him. He kept bobbing and licking, feeling a return of pleasure from the hair tugs. One of his hands moved to play with Arthur's sac.

"Oh God, Alfred," The Brit whispered, trying as hard as he could to not thrust too hard and already feeling the familiar pull of pleasure in his stomach. "That feels good..."

Alfred hummed happily again, keeping up all the actions in order to take Arthur to the edge.

A few minutes later, and Arthur was there, groaning softly and pressing gently into Alfred's mouth. "Ah- fuck - A-Al- I'm close," he gasped, tugging slightly at Alfred's hair.

Alfred nodded, simply giving a particularly hard suck and bob.

Eyes widening slightly, Arthur let out a choked breath before he screwed his eyes shut, his fingers and face and body tensing up as he released into Alfred.

Gasping at the tightening, Alfred opened his mouth more and swallowed all of it.

Arthur's body slackened once he'd ridden his release out, and his breath came in small, quiet pants as he leaned against the kitchen counter behind him.

Alfred let the cock slip from his mouth and he pulled back to grin at the man.

Breath shivering, Arthur looked down at Alfred, pushing the merman's hair back gently. "Alfred," he murmured, just for the sake of murmuring it.

Smiling more, Alfred leaned into the touch, because what else could he do? He loved it. "I'm here," he whispered back, turning his head to kiss at the fingers.

At the same time Arthur allowed his fingers to gently trace Alfred's lips, and he smiled warmly to himself. And still, he was watching the other with intensity as a sigh rushed out of him.

"Did I pleasure you okay?" Alfred asked, just to make sure.

"You did," Arthur whispered back, stroking Alfred's skin with a thumb.

Alfred positively shone with happiness, and he rolled forward a bit so he could hug Arthur around the middle.

"Ah- heh, hello..." the Brit murmured, his hand going to Alfred's hair.

Nuzzling to the stomach, Alfred purred. "Hello, Artie!" He gave the Brit an extra hard squeeze and then slowly backed away, still smiling up at him. "Wanna get back to the cookies now?"

"Oh- right, yes," Arthur replied, smiling a little sheepishly back.

"Mhm!" First though, Alfred pulled him down for another kiss.

Humming happily, Arthur leaned into it with a smile.

It was short again, and soon after the two of them went back to making cookies. Fifteen minutes later, the first batch was in the oven, and Alfred was gorging himself on the extra cookie dough - and he'd made sure to make a lot of it just for this pleasure - while he waited.

"Alfred!" Arthur reprimanded him for about the tenth time.

"Wha?" Alfred looked at him, at the same time shoving another spoonful of it into his mouth.

"Christ - Stop eating the mixture! You'll get salmonella..."

"What's salmonella?" Alfred tilted his head. "And I won't get it, I'm healthy!"

"It's that illness you get from eating, things with  _raw eggs_. And anyway, we won't be able to make any more cookies if you eat all the mix."

Pouting, Alfred slowly put the spoon back. "Fine, fine... I won't eat anymore," he mumbled, smacking his lips and looking mournfully at the bowl.

"Good," Arthur replied, a brow raised.

Alfred suddenly smiled and grabbed Arthur, pulling the man onto his lap. "I'll just have to suck on somethin' else sweet!" he declared, snuggling to Arthur and biting down gently on a part of his shoulder.

Arthur blinked, his face turning red. "O-Oh- Like what?"

"Wike you!" Alfred declared, his voice muffled by the flesh in his mouth. He sucked on it almost thoughtfully and squeezed Arthur around the middle.

"Ah- Am I really that sweet?" Arthur murmured quietly.

"To me, you're the sweetest," Alfred whispered back conspiratorially. He'd lifted his face away and now pressed a kiss to Arthur's cheek.

Letting out a small hum, Arthur's blush grew darker. "Ah... What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just that you're sweet!"

"...Hmph. You're being silly again," the Brit mumbled, wrapping his arms round the others neck.

"Well if you're happy then I'll keep on being silly!" Alfred told him seriously.

Arthur's mouth twitched up. "Of course I am, silly," he said quietly, leaning forwards to peck the merman's nose.

Squealing softly, Alfred leaned into him. He smiled, then pecked Arthur on the cheek in return.

Arthur smiled softly at this, closing his eyes for a moment.

A moment later the oven timer went off and Alfred jumped. "Cookies! Quick, Artie!"

"Ah- Right-!" Arthur said, jumping up as well and heading to the oven to get the cookies out.

"Are they good? Did they come out okay?" Alfred rolled after him, curious and eager.

"They seem all right..." Arthur chewed his lip thoughtfully. "Are you sure they don't need to go in for longer?"

"Positive!" Alfred chirped, reaching up and taking one of the cookies. It was gooey and perfect and warm in his mouth, and he groaned. "Ooh mmh God!"

"It's good, then?" Arthur asked with a small smile.

"It's so good! Try one!" Alfred picked a cookie up and held it out to the Brit.

Taking it gladly, Arthur bit into it and chewed, nodding his head appreciatively.

"See?" Alfred looked proud of himself. "Thanks for making them with me, Artie."

Arthur blinked, then smiled softly at the merman. "...Of course."

"No, really..." Alfred sighed softly and reached up to lace his fingers through Arthur's. "I know I was bein' real pushy and probably annoying today with the whole not letting you work thing, but I'm really happy that you humored me and spent even a few hours with me."

"Alfred... It's fine. I'm glad I did, hm?" Arthur said with a warm smile.

"I'm glad you did too," Alfred whispered, grinning back as brightly as the sun.

Arthur chuckled slightly, then brought his free hand up to stroke Alfred's cheek. "I really should go back to work, though..."

"Yeah I- I know." A small pout settled over Alfred's lips, and he glanced at the still half-full bowl of cookie dough. "I guess I can make the rest myself..."

Arthur paused for a moment, then pulled Alfred a little closer. "It'll make a nice treat for me when I finish," he said in a murmur. "I'm sorry, Alfred. I know we've not spent much time together... But if you let me work the next few days, then I'll have the day off on Monday, okay? We can spend the whole day together, and do whatever we want, I promise."

Damn, so the guilting didn't work. But the prospect of an entire day with Arthur placated the merman a tiny bit. "Y-You really promise?"

"Of course I do. Monday." Arthur himself glanced over at the leftover cookie mixture. "...And we can even make some more cookies, if you like."

"Yeah, we can," Alfred said with a smile. But inwardly, he was thinking they were probably going to be a bit too busy for that. There was a lot of sex to make up for, first.

Arthur smiled softly, and stroked Alfred's hair, leaning forwards to press a kiss to his forehead. "Let's go back, then?"

"You go, Artie." Alfred smiled at the kiss, but shook his head. "I wanna make the rest of the cookies. I'll bring some to you later though, okay?" If any made it out of the kitchen.

"Okay. I'll see you later, then," Arthur said, stroking the other a little more before standing to leave.

"See you, Artie!" Alfred waved and amused himself by staring at Arthur's butt for as long as he could. When he was alone in the kitchen, he started humming a random tune and got to making the next batch of cookies, swiping some of the dough on the way. Salmonella be damned. As he worked, his mind was already concocting ideas of what they could do on Monday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, just some sweet domestic fluff for you guys! The next chapter is gonna hold three shorter snippets, the first of which is probably gonna be the most important~


	25. Extras 3, 4, and 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the very last chapter. After this, the story's done. These ones are set a couple of years after the last one. Also, there's gonna be some sex in the first one, but it's kind of necessary given the situation, heh.

 

 

* * *

Extra 3: The Wedding

* * *

Alfred was sweating, though he tried not to fidget too much. Gilbert, who was standing next to him in the tiny church, noticed and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. The merman smiled and tried to loosen up. This was the best day of his life, after all.

By then he'd been with Arthur for over four years, and they'd gone through so many good times together. To his surprise Arthur had proposed to him eight months ago, ironic because Alfred had been in a frantic search for a ring to propose to Arthur with at the same exact time- with Gilbert's help, of course. But it didn't matter, since it all came to the same end.

The ceremony was a very private one, with only Gilbert's family and Arthur's family in attendance. Alfred liked the Kirklands, even though they were a bit eccentric and rough sometimes. But they respected the wheelchair, so Alfred was safe. Gilbert was his best man, and the ceremony would start soon. Alfred started fidgeting again, and not even Gilbert could stop him from doing it this time.

It wasn't long after - once the other processionals had taken place - that Arthur entered the room with a deep breath, walking alongside his father in his tuxedo. His movements jarred just a little as he made eye contact with his fiancé, though they were quickly smoothed out and Arthur carried on his way, although unable to break his gaze.

Alfred himself couldn't look away either, though his fidgeting had stopped and a small smile broke out on his face. "Arthur, you look stunning," he murmured as the Brit came to a halt in front of him.

"...So do you," Arthur whispered back, a slight, warm smile on his own lips.

The priest then started the ceremony. He kept it short, before anyone could doze off, and soon enough it was time to say the fateful words. "Do you, Arthur Kirkland take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Taking a long breath, Arthur looked down at Alfred and smiled lovingly, a ball of excitement and nervousness nestled inside him, and overflowing with his love for the merman in front of him. Eventually he let the breath go, smile only growing more as he did so. "...I do."

Alfred smiled as the priest went on. "And you, Alfred F. Jones, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I..." Alfred gave a broad smile. "I do, with all my heart!"

"Then... You may kiss each other." The priest stepped back, a faint smile on his face.

No sooner had the words been said had Arthur leaned down to press his lips against the other's, lifting a hand to his cheek and kissing him with all his worth. Leaning up a bit as well, Alfred kissed back eagerly. Arthur's eyes closed and his hand travelled to the back or Alfred's head, pulling him closer and moving more towards the other himself. He pulled away with a small sigh, leaning his forehead against Alfred's.

"Hello, h-husband," Alfred whispered, his eyes shimmering with tears.

The Brit let out a breathy laugh as he looked at Alfred, tears threatening to drop from his eyes too, and he squeezed the other gently. "Alfred..." he whispered back, pushing his hair back gently.

"Artie, my Artie." Alfred couldn't hold it back any longer and burst into tears, burying his face in Arthur's chest.

"Ah..." Chuckling slightly, Arthur held him tightly, stroking and running his fingers through Alfred's hair. "Yes."

Gilbert chose that moment to step forward. "Hey, lovebirds. C'mon, you can cry at the party."

"Ah- Right, yes," Arthur replied, glancing up at the German. "Come on, Alfred," he then murmured to his new husband.

"Artieeeeee!" Alfred wailed quietly, clinging tightly onto the Brit.

"Hey, hey... I'm here," he said with a chuckle. "Come on, we don't want to miss our own reception, do we?"

"N-No, we don't." The merman sniffled and looked up at Arthur.

"Well come on, then," Arthur said with a small smile, still stroking Alfred's hair.

"Let's go." Alfred took Arthur's hand and nodded to Gilbert. The German stood behind the chair and wheeled it forward as they filed from the church and to Arthur's home, which was where the reception was going to be.

The reception was in the dining room, which had been thoroughly cleaned and immaculately decorated for the party. Arthur had called a catering business, and they'd done the food. He and Alfred led the way into the room, taking a seat at the head of the table.

Almost immediately, Alfred was sobbing happily into Arthur's shoulder again.

Laughing again softly, Arthur pressed kisses to the other's head, his fingers threading through the blond hair. "Alfie... Oh, Alfie..." he whispered.

"I- I'm so happy, Arthur!" Alfred sniffled into him, squeezing Arthur's arm tightly. His stomach jumped pleasantly at the nickname, but he was too busy crying to really pursue the matter.

"I know. I know, me too." Grinning widely, Arthur brought the merman's face up with his hand, stroking his cheek. "Alfred..."

"Y-Yeah?" Alfred whispered, looking up at him with bright, liquidy eyes.

Arthur let out a small, breathy chuckle, a couple of stray tears slipping down his face as he pressed his forehead to Alfred's. "I love you."

The merman gasped softly, starting to cry again in earnest. "I love you too!" He wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders, pulling the other as close as possible without breaking contact with him.

"Heh..." Closing his eyes, Arthur hugged the other tightly back, smiling happily.

Alfred took the opportunity to kiss him.

"Ah-" Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise, but then gladly leaned into the kiss.

Pulling away after a moment, Alfred dried his eyes and reached out to run his thumbs over Arthur's cheeks, wiping away the tears there.

Sighing softly, Arthur smiled warmly at Alfred and pressed into the touch.

This time it was one of Arthur's brothers that broke them up with a 'gentle' reminder that they weren't alone. Alfred blushed and straightened out in his chair. "S-So let's start?"

"Of course," Arthur said with a small, sheepish chuckle.

After a few congratulations from everyone - and a rather egotistical speech from Gilbert, though no one cared - they started to eat. The food was delicious, and it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. An hour passed quickly, and Alfred started fidgeting. "Can we dance now?" he asked softly when it looked like everyone was done.

"Of course," Arthur murmured back with a small smile, holding his hand out for Alfred's.

But Alfred shook his head and backed away a tiny bit. "What, me? I can't dance in a wheelchair, Artie."

"Alfred... It's our wedding. We should take the first dance. Please?" Arthur's smile grew as he took the others hand and pressed a kiss to it. "May I have this dance?"

Alfred couldn't help but to nod. He gripped Arthur's hand in return and rolled forward. "How will it work?"

"We'll figure that out when we get there," Arthur replied, standing and moving to push Alfred, not letting go of his hand.

Alfred wouldn't have let him let go anyway. He was smiling slightly, but still nervous about the dancing. How would it work with his chair? But he trusted Arthur, and it would work out.

Once they reached the floor reserved for dancing, Arthur nodded to the band to start and turned to place his free hand on Alfred's shoulder. "You might have to lead," he said with a sheepish grin.

"I'll do my best!" Alfred declared, holding Arthur in return. He started rolling back and forth a bit, smiling. "Is this okay?"

"It's lovely, Alfred," Arthur whispered, smiling happily as he moved with the other.

"O-Okay, if you say so, Artie!" Alfred whispered back, smiling softly at his husband.

Chuckling gently and smiling back, Arthur followed the merman's movements, though he led him into small turns and swings, and shuffled as close as he could.

At one point though, Alfred accidentally rolled forwards too much and Arthur went crashing down onto the merman's lap. Alfred quickly wrapped his arms around him and laughed. "Oh Artie, I'm sorry!" he cried, pressing kisses all over Arthur's face.

"Ah-" Arthur blinked, then laughed himself, leaning into it. "Heh, no, that's okay."

"Are you sure?" Alfred asked, nuzzling to the Brit gently with his nose.

"Of course. This is nice, too," Arthur mumbled, humming softly as he moved his hand on Alfred's shoulder back to circle round his neck, focusing on him so much that he barely even noticed as other people slowly began filtering onto the dance floor.

"Heh, well there goes our alone dance," Alfred said softly, but he didn't mind at all. Arthur still settled nicely on his lap, he rolled them off to the side. "I-I mean if you wanna dance with someone else, you can."

"Mm, not just yet," Arthur replied, smiling softly as he looked at Alfred.

"Okay." Alfred gazed back for a moment, but then dropped his eyes. "Oh, what are you starin' at?"

"My husband," Arthur whispered reverently, reaching a hand out to Alfred's cheek to bring his face up.

"Ah..." The merman obliged, and a soft, loving smile spread over his lips. "Oh Arthur..."

"My gorgeous, wonderful, handsome husband," the Brit repeated with a sigh, tracing that smile with his thumb for a second before he shifted shyly. "You look amazing, by the way."

"Aww, Artie," Alfred mumbled against the finger. "Heh, not as amazing as you though."

Arthur gave a small chuckle. "Oh, hush, now that's just impossible."

"No, no it's not!" Eyes widening, Alfred nodded quickly. "I almost got hard in the church just from looking at you!"

Arthur's eyes widened, and he sputtered with laughter. "Wh-What? Alfred-!"

"Whaaaaat?" Alfred whined, though he was grinning too. "I wouldn't have done anything!"

"Well, I know, but still," Arthur said, chuckling and shaking his head.

"Still nothing! And that proves that you looked hotter than I did!"

"Wh- It does not!" Arthur huffed softly, but there was a small blush on his face. "You can find people attractive without getting  _horny_  over it, you know."

"Well I can too! You were just so so hot that I got a bit horny!" Alfred said, huffing.

"Right, right," Arthur said, raising a brow as he chuckled.

"Hff! You're mean, Artie," Alfred moaned. He draped himself over Arthur's shoulder, huffing again.

"Absolutely," Arthur replied with a grin, holding Alfred tightly and pressing a kiss to his hair. "...Still, thank you."

"Of course!" Alfred kissed all over the shoulder, smiling the whole time. "But you will have to help me with it later."

Arthur looked down at him, brows raised. "...You're not, actually hard, are you?"

The merman only pursed his lips.

"Are you?!" Arthur's eyes widened - he'd just been joking before - and he leaned back a little to look at Alfred properly. "I'll check."

"Ch- Check what?"

"If you are or not. So you may as well tell me."

"Why would I lie about it?" Alfred frowned. "I was a bit aroused, yeah, and it's settled down a bit now, but I think like the tippy top is poking up." He wriggled a bit in his seat. "Yup."

Arthur blinked, then chuckled softly. "Oh, you are silly..."

"Hmph! Will you help me later or not?"

"Of course I will," Arthur replied softly. "It's only right."

"All right. Thank you, Artie." Alfred smiled and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "...I suppose I won't be allowed to rip this suit?"

"Heh, preferably not," Arthur murmured back.

"All right, I'll spare this one," the merman teased.

"Good. I've had to have so many of my suits replaced already- practically my whole closet," Arthur replied with a small chuckle.

"What? It's easier!" Still, Alfred looked proud of himself.

"Yes, yes. Well, you know it's not like I mind."

"Heh, oh I definitely know." Alfred smirked. "You practically get even  _more_  turned on by it."

"W-Well I- I mean-" Arthur sputtered a little, shifting in Alfred's lap and turning slightly red - but he was unable to deny it.

"Heh, nothin' to be ashamed of." Alfred kissed his cheeks and hugged him tightly.

Arthur only huffed and shuffled into the other's embrace.

They didn't get too much more privacy, because a moment later Gilbert popped up next to them. "Hey Eyebrows, fancy a dance?"

Said eyebrows flew to the top of his skull, and a slight smirk played at his lips. "With you?" he asked, surprised, as he glanced down at Alfred quickly.

"Well yeah! I'd take my chances with the wheelchair but I kind of wanna keep both of my feet," Gilbert said, grinning.

Laughing a little, Arthur looked down at the merman for his permission.

"Go ahead, Artie! I wanna go talk to your mom!"

"Heh, all right." Smiling softly, Arthur leant forwards to peck Alfred on the cheek, then stood up and turned to Gilbert with a grin of his own. "Come on then, ya prick."

After watching the two of them vanish, Alfred rolled over to Arthur's mom and started chatting with the woman. She was a lovely woman, and had been the first of Arthur's family to find out about the tail. They'd all taken it well, but her positive reaction had given both Arthur and Alfred the courage to tell the rest.

She was seated at a table at that point, having just finished a dance with her own husband, and she smiled when she glanced over and noticed Alfred. "Ah- Alfred, hello, dear! I was meaning to look for you and Art - congratulations, really. I'm so happy for you both, and it was such a wonderful ceremony..."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Kirkland." Alfred grinned at her and settled down deeper in his chair. "I was so nervous."

"Oh, I can imagine. It's so nervewracking, waiting for your own wedding to start... But it was oh so lovely in the end, wasn't it?"

"It was... And Arthur's just perfect." Alfred smiled dreamily and touched his lips. "I'm so lucky."

The woman smiled softly, leaning back in her chair. "Well I glad he's as special to you as he is to us. We leave him in your care now, Alfred."

"I'll take good care of him," Alfred murmured, watching Arthur dance with Gilbert. It seemed like they were bantering with each other, and as he watched the Brit casually stepped on Gilbert's foot. He chuckled. "Though he'll more than likely be taking care of me."

"Well I'm sure you'll both need to look after each other a fair amount," she said with a chortle.

"Yeah!" Alfred looked at her again and took her hand. "I- Thank you."

"Oh- You don't need to thank me for anything, dear."

"No, I do." Alfred squeezed her hand. "You, and your family... You gave me a family again."

"You  _are_  part of our family, Alfred," the woman said in response, smiling softly with a happy twinkle in her eye. "It's unconditional. You have nothing you have to thank us for." Squeezing back, her smile only grew. "But it is greatly appreciated."

Leaning over, Alfred simply gave her a massive hug.

"Ah-" Blinking, she then chortled softly and hugged the merman tightly back. "I should be thanking you, really, for looking after my troublesome son."

"He isn't that troublesome, but no problem!"

Just then, there was a cough from behind them, And Arthur stepped forwards. "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask my mother for a dance," he said with a small smile.

"Ah, okay!" Alfred backed away. "After this dance we can be together though, right?"

"Of course. Why don't you come onto the dance floor? Fritz is looking a little bored," he said, glancing over at Matthew and Gilbert as they danced ( _Oh, he didn't swing_  Matthew  _around_ ) and at the young boy picking at his food a few tables away.

"Oh, sure!" And in the next moment, Alfred was zooming towards the boy. "Friiitz!"

It was only a few hours later, once photos had been taken and presents given, that it came to Arthur saying goodnight to the guests.

The last guests, Gilbert and Matthew and Fritz, filed out a little after midnight. Almost as soon as they were gone Alfred turned to Arthur excitedly and grinned. "So we're alone now..." he said, wiggling his eyebrows lecherously.

Raising an eyebrow himself, Arthur gave a small smile. "...We are, yes."

"So what are you waiting for? Get over here!" The merman eagerly patted his lap.

Arthur chuckled softly, moving forwards to settle himself in Alfred's lap. "Yes, yes," he murmured, his arms circling round the other's neck.

"Oh Artie," Alfred murmured, running his hands all over the other's body like he'd been longing to for hours. "We're married, Artie."

"I know," Arthur breathed, a soft smile on his face, closing his eyes and sighing gently. "I'm so happy..."

"Me too, Artie." Alfred chuckled softly and pushed Arthur's head down onto his shoulder. "I feel like this is unreal. It's too good to be true, you know?"

Humming, Arthur snuggles into the other and gently squeezed him. "I know," he murmured. "But it is true."

"You're all mine, Arthur," Alfred whispered reverently. "And I'm yours."

"Mm, I like the sound of that." Arthur pulled back a little to look at Alfred, his hand stroking the merman's waist. "I'm yours and you're mine."

"Oh c'mere-" Alfred crashed their lips together, a hand moving to the back of Arthur's head.

Letting out a small groan of surprise, Arthur's eyes then slipped shut, and he leaned into it, kissing back fervently. As they kissed, Alfred slowly started maneuvering them to the pool room. Arthur didn't pause, only deepening the kiss as his arm tightened its grip, his other hand moving forwards to cup Alfred's cheek.

"Mmh-" Alfred stopped rolling and opened his mouth, leaning into the touch.

The Brit took the opportunity to explore the mouth he already knew so well, first ruining his tongue along the merman's open lips before diving in. Alfred kept moaning into his mouth, his own tongue flicking out a bit, but not really resisting. Letting out a small moan of his own, Arthur gladly pressed his own tongue against Alfred's, relishing the feeling, and his hands came down to gently pull off the tie around the other's neck and start undoing the buttons there.

"Hey..." Alfred pulled away a bit and reached up to grasp his hands. "Wait 'til we're in the pool room," he murmured, then set off once again.

Arthur blinked, then smiled slightly. "All right," he mumbled back, giving the other another quick peck on the lips.

Grinning stupidly, Alfred eventually got them into the pool room and stopped there. He eased Arthur onto the floor and flopped on top of him. "So, hot stuff, where'd we leave off?"

"Mm, I believe we were kissing," Arthur replied slyly, tugging Alfred down by his collar and starting work on the buttons again.

The merman dipped down eagerly and forced his tongue into Arthur's mouth. His arms moved to Arthur's pants, and he paused. "I suppose I really can't rip these off..." he mused softly, breathing onto Arthur's lips.

"Ah- preferably not," Arthur murmured with a chuckle, shivering pleasantly.

"...Fine, I'll leave them be." Alfred huffed, then dived down into the Brit's mouth again. His hands moved nimbly to Arthur's pants again and within moments they were off.

Moaning softly, Arthur closed his eyes, pushing Alfred's now open jacket and shirt off his shoulders and running his hands over the muscled chest.

"You like it?" Alfred whispered to him, smiling up at the man.

"You know I do, you idiot," Arthur breathed back, eyes flicking up to Alfred's.

"Still, it's nice to hear it," Alfred replied, grinning softly.

"Oh, you." Arthur grinned a little, hands travelling over the other's shoulders and then to the back of his neck. "Come on and make love to me, Mr. Alfred Kirkland," he whispered.

"Alfred Kirkland," Alfred mused, smiling a bit. "Sounds a bit weird, but I like it!"

"Mm, good," Arthur murmured back, grinning up at the other.

Alfred set to work on Arthur's shirt, slowly unbuttoning it and pulling the fabric off of his shoulders. His eyes then moved to an old scar on Arthur's skin, high up next to his neck. A bite mark. He traced it gently, a small smile on his face.

Arthur hummed at the feeling, tilting his head to the side as he looked up at Alfred. "What is it?"

"Nothin'. Just... Heh, I've well and truly marked you, ey?" Alfred pressed a kiss over the scar.

Smiling softly, Arthur chuckled and threaded his fingers through the merman's hair. "Mm, I suppose you have... And I'm well and truly yours, Alfred."

Looking up, Alfred grinned brightly at him. "You are! And I wouldn't have it any other way!" he declared.

"Good. Me neither," Arthur happily murmured, taking Alfred's cheeks in his hands and pulling him down for a soft, short kiss.

Alfred cooed happily at the touches and there was a smile on his lips as they pulled apart. "Artie... I love you. I do, I do!"

"Heh, I know," Arthur whispered back happily. "I love you too."

"And I'm gonna show you just how much I love you." His fingers slipped to Arthur's ass, and he probed the entrance.

"Ah..." Sighing and shivering softly, Arthur arched ever so slightly up into Alfred, stroking the merman's skin.

"Feels good, Artie?"

"It does," Arthur breathed, leaning into the touch.

Alfred pushed in deeper, smiling and leaning down to peck his lips.

Humming a little, Arthur's arms twitched, tightening around Alfred and pecking him back.

"Artie..." Alfred slowly added his second finger.

"Nn-" Arthur shut his eyes tightly, a hand fisting in Alfred's hair as he relaxed himself. "Alfred..."

"Yeeees?" Alfred grinned more.

"Alfred... Ah-" Arthur pressed up against him, holding onto the other tightly. "I love you-" he eventually choked out.

"I love you too, Artie!" Alfred cried back, giving a little thrust with his fingers.

Arthur let out a small gasp, softly shuddering at the sensation.

Smiling, Alfred quickly moved to stroke Arthur's prostate. His experienced fingers found it quickly and rubbed against it in just the right way.

"Mm- oh God, Alfred," Arthur breathed, allowing his head to tip back as he squirmed into the touch.

"Heh, I know how you tick, Artie," Alfred purred seductively. He thrust in his third finger for a couple of moments before withdrawing his hand entirely.

The Brit let out a heavy sigh in pleasure, his eyes opening (though lidded) and peering up at Alfred. "...You're so hot," he murmured, pulling him down into a kiss.

"Mmh-" Alfred's agreement was cut off by the kiss, though he eagerly leaned into it.

Arthur pressed more into it with a hum, kissing the merman fiercely and holding him close.

Alfred melted in his arms, wrapping around the Brit.

Arthur's legs hooked over the other's tail, and he ever-so-gently rutted against Alfred, smiling gladly against his lips.

"Impatient, are we?" Alfred grinned, groaning a little himself.

"Mm, of course," Arthur murmured back, pressing himself up flush against the other and rubbing more in the hopes that Alfred would get some pleasure too.

"Artie, feels good!" Alfred cried.

"That's good," The Brit whispered, his own breath coming out in a shudder as he kept his hips moving.

"Ah- Artie, you'll make me come-"

"Heh, will I now?" Arthur chuckled softly

"That's not a good thing." Alfred said, huffing. "I'll have to punish you if you do that."

Arthur raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Alfred smirked.

"Punish me how?"

"Two words: orgasm delay."

"...On our wedding night?  _Surely_  you wouldn't be so cruel," Arthur murmured with a smirk, leaning up to peck the merman's lips.

Alfred was unmoved. "I got a cock ring and I'm not afraid to use it." He gave a particularly hard rut back against the man.

"Ah-" Arthur closed his eyes for a moment with a moan, then moved his gaze back to Alfred's.

"Let me make love to you now?" Alfred whispered.

Breath catching slightly, Arthur nodded. "Of course..."

"Okay." Alfred pulled away for a moment, reaching for the lube. He slicked up his cock and immediately pressed in.

Arthur let out a low groan, fingers digging into Alfred's skin as he adjusted to the feeling.

"Easy there, Artie. It's okay," the merman whispered, stroking Arthur's cheek.

Sighing, Arthur slowly, relaxed with Alfred's touches, soon pressing his hips back against the merman, ready.

Alfred thrust into him slowly at first, relishing the feeling of Arthur clenching around him. "Artie-!"

"Alfred..." Arthur breathed back, hands slipping over Alfred's shoulders, down his front and up to grip at his back, small gasps and moans falling from his mouth.

"Louder, Artie!" Alfred commanded.

His eyes fluttering, closed in a groan, Arthur's back arched slightly. "A-Alfred!"

Pounding away into him, Alfred let out his own noises of pleasure.

Arthur's hands roamed over Alfred's skin, his breath already coming in pants as he rocked back into the other.

"I love you- I love you so much!" Alfred screamed, his hips moving more powerfully.

"Ah-!" Body shuddering in pleasure, Arthur's eyes opened again to look into Alfred, a free hand coming forwards to stroke his cheek. "I- I love you too- Alfred... Alfred-"

"You're so perfect, Arthur!" Alfred leaned into the touch, his mouth occasionally brushing against the fingertips.

"Oh..." Sighing, Arthur's thumb traced the other's lips for a moment, before bringing him down for a kiss. "Alfred," he whispered into it.

Arthur only continued repeating Alfred's name, hushed and whispered, like a mantra against his lips.

Shuddering in pleasure, Alfred forced his hips to move faster and faster. "Arthur- Arthur come-"

"Oh God- oh-" Crying out, Arthur's legs and arms tightened around the other, pulling him deeper and gasping with every thrust, lost in the overwhelming feel of Alfred around him, inside him. "Alfred- Alfred I love you- I- Ah-" Choking the words out a little, Arthur's eyes - firmly directed at Alfred's - widened, his fingers pulling softly at the other's skin, and he shuddered, another small gasp escaping his mouth as he released.

Alfred let out a little groan himself at the warmth on his stomach, and with another couple of thrusts he filled up Arthur with his seed. Collapsing on top of the Brit, he pressed a multitude of gentle kisses all over Arthur's face. "H-Husband... My husband..."

Though he was panting, Arthur let a wide, happy grin spread on his face, his eyes finally gently closing as he leant into the kisses. "Yes... yes, my love... my husband..." he breathed.

A moment later, Alfred was crying. His shoulders shook and his breath hitched with sobs, and he clung to Arthur tightly.

"Ah..." Arthur chuckled softly, squeezing Alfred tightly and burying his nose in Alfred's neck, kissing the skin there softly and stroking his back. "Come now, love."

"I-I'm so happy!" Alfred sobbed out, whimpering and leaning into the Brit.

"I know. I know, me too" Arthur barely breathed back, pulling back and cupping Alfred's cheeks to give him a happy, teary smile.

Seeing the expression on Arthur's face only made Alfred tear up more, and he leaned forward to press his forehead against his lover's. "A-Artie-"

Quickly moving forward to peck Alfred's lips, the Brit pulled away with a chuckle, pushing the other's hair back. "...I know, Alfred."

Finally smiling, Alfred rested his head on Arthur's chest. "I love you so much, Artie."

"I love you too," Arthur whispered back, his own smile growing as he pressed a kiss to the top of Alfred's head, stroking the merman's back. "Oh, Alfie..."

"A-Alfie?" Alfred peeked up at him, sniffling. "I like it when you call me that..."

"I can tell," Arthur replied with a small grin, then trailing kisses down the side of Alfred's head to his ear. "I love you, Alfie..." he breathed into it, before continuing his kisses down.

"Ah-" Alfred shivered, tightening his hold on the Brit. "I-I love you too..."

"Mm, that's good," Arthur murmured back with a smile, pressing kisses all over the merman's neck and shoulder.

"Artie-" Alfred's breath hitched again, and he convulsed lightly. "Arthur oh God-"

"Hmm?" the Brit hummed against the other's skin tilting his head a little to look up at him questioningly.

"Nothin'. I just love you." Alfred smiled.

Smiling softly back, Arthur pressed another, slightly longer, soft kiss to the skin below his lips. "I know. I'm glad you do."

"And I'm glad you love me-eeeeh..." Alfred's words cut off with a large yawn.

Chuckling, Arthur kissed the other more, moving up until he gave Alfred a quick peck. Stroking his husband's cheek, he smiled happily. "...Come on, love, let's sleep," he whispered.

"Okay." Alfred snuggled into him. "And you'll be right by my side when I wake up tomorrow, right?"

"Of course - whyever wouldn't I be?"

"Just asking. Cuz I wanna wake up next to you forever," Alfred mumbled, then slipped into sleep.

Arthur blinked, glancing over at the other, but then chuckled softly and held the other close, his own eyes slipping shut. A warm smile spread across the newlywed's face when he realized that he could feel their hearts beating gently against each other and he sighed happily. "You will..."

* * *

Extra 4: The Idea

* * *

Alfred was wriggling nervously in his chair as he waited for Arthur to come home from his meeting. He'd been thinking of the idea for a while now, and the more thought he gave it the more he felt that this would be good. It would help a lot of people, kids especially, and Alfred knew the money would go to a good place. He just needed Arthur's permission, since the Brit would be funding most of it (hopefully) until Alfred had money of his own from his book.

The front door opened and the merman froze in his seat. "Arthur?" he called out, wheeling himself forwards.

"I'm here, Alfred," Arthur replied, coming through the doorway to the dining room to meet him. "Hello, love."

"Hi, Artie!" Alfred rocketed forwards, knocking Arthur onto his lap and just managing to stop before he hit the wall. At Arthur's shriek of surprise he just laughed and wrapped his arms protectively around his husband. "It's okay, Artie. I got you."

"I- I know that, you idiot," Arthur wheezed out. "Just give me a little warning next time, hmm?"

Alfred lowered his head, thoroughly chastised. But not even that could stop the smile on his face as he pressed his lips to Arthur's. The Brit instantly relaxed into the kiss, all of his anger melting away. Tongues flicked out to press against each other as the two reunited after a day spent apart. When they finally parted, Alfred simply rested his head against Arthur's shoulder and relaxed into the embrace.

"Are you all right there?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Alfred." Chuckling, Arthur cupped Alfred's cheek and caressed it. "Now. You seem to be more excited than usual. What is it?"

Here came the scary part. Even though Alfred knew Arthur was very rich and could probably spare the money with ease, he didn't like asking him for it. It was just another reminder that right now, Alfred was dependent on him. But he had no other choice right now; he wanted to put his idea into motion as soon as possible. "Well..." The merman bit his lip and shifted in his seat.

"Well?" Arthur's thumb slowed on his cheek, and the green eyes filled with concern. "Alfred, you can tell me..."

"I know, I know." Alfred took a deep breath. "I had this idea." He paused again, looking up at Arthur from underneath his eyelashes.

"An idea?" Arthur prompted him.

Alfred nodded. "You know all those different kids of foundations, right?" He waited until Arthur had nodded in agreement before speaking again. "Well, I just thought. My wheelchair is really cool and custom and helps me get around easier. And I need it cuz I don't have legs. But there's other kids - and people - out there that need them too but they can't get them cuz they need special ones but don't have enough money and stuff."

"That is true..." Arthur had a hint of an idea of where this was going, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"So I thought I could start a foundation! Or, well,  _we_  could. And we could help the little kids and other people get the wheelchairs they need for free! Well, free for them. We would pay! And we could get those donations and have parties and events for them and we could really help a lot of people!" Finishing with a deep breath, Alfred fidgeted while he waited for Arthur's verdict on the idea.

The Brit shifted on Alfred's lap, eyeing the merman with a critical gaze.

"A-Artie?" Alfred asked. His face filled with hesitation. "What do you think of that? I- I mean I can wait until I have my own money from the boo-"

"Alfred." Arthur's voice was very soft. "You brilliant, silly, bloody heroic thing, just take my money." And he leaned forwards to press a firm kiss to Alfred's lips.

Eyes widening in surprise before they closed, Alfred eagerly leaned back. His hands curled around Arthur's shoulders and held the man to himself. This kiss was even more fevered than the last. A warmth spread through Alfred's chest as he kissed his husband. Arthur had agreed! Arthur heard his idea and thought it was a good one and he would help Alfred get it on its feet! As he pulled back, he cupped Arthur's cheeks and smiled widely down at him.

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have told you that if I didn't believe it," Arthur replied. He smiled back and leaned into the touches. "I think that's a wonderful idea, love."

"I'm glad." Alfred was giddy with excitement, and a few giggles burst out of him. "So when can we start with the planning? You know how to do this stuff, right?"

"Well we'll need some outside help as well, but we can start right now."

"Yes!" Alfred fistpumped and hugged Arthur tightly. "Let's go!" The broad smile not once faltering, he rolled them down the hallway.

* * *

Extra 5: Published

* * *

It was bound to come in this week. Today, hopefully. Alfred was itching for the box to be delivered and fidgeted in the living room. He'd been working on this for five years, and finally the first copies of his published books were due to arrive. The merman couldn't help letting out a little whine as the clock struck four in the afternoon and there was still nothing.

A small chuckle came from the Brit seated next to him, who nudged him after a moment. "Come now, Alfie, it'll be here soon."

"But what if it doesn't come today?" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and squeezed tightly.

"It will, I'm sure. And if it doesn't, you'll just have to be patient," Arthur said, squeezing back.

"Don't wanna be patient..." Alfred grumbled.

"Heh, I know, but you have to be."

Alfred heaved a sigh and rested his head on Arthur's shoulder. More minutes passed, and the merman sat straight upright when the doorbell rang. "A-Arthur! Arthur, could it be-?"

Chuckling Arthur nudged him again. "Come on, let's go and see."

"Okay! You go first, though!" Shaking a bit, Alfred started to roll himself to the door.

"All right," Arthur said with a smile, moving with the other and going to open the door.

The deliveryman on the other side had a big box by his legs. "A delivery for an Alfred Kirkland?"

Alfred nodded and rolled forwards more to take the little clipboard from the man. He shakily signed it off and the box was brought in. The man left and the two of them were left staring at it. Eventually, they moved it from the entrance hall to the living room.

Arthur blinked, then glanced up at Alfred and smiled. "So? It's yours to open."

"O-Okay." Alfred reached for an opener and cut the tape around the box. He carefully opened the lid and gasped. There, arranged in neat stacks, were books.

They had simple blue covers depicting waves, with a fish tail emerging from the highest one. Elegant silvery words proclaimed the title,  _The Story of a Mermaid_  and the author, one Alfred F. Jones. And the publisher, of course- Kirkland Publishing House.

Watching this carefully, Arthur's eyes narrowed then widened as he took in the title. He hadn't seen even one trace of the book (apart from the one time Alfred had left the manuscript lying around and he tried to have a peek), so how could he have known what it was about? He even had someone else from his publishing house look over the manuscripts and approve everything so he wouldn't know until it was done.

He stared at the books a moment longer before finally shifting his gaze to the merman next to him. "A-Alfred..."

Alfred was suddenly nervous. "Y-Yeah?" he asked softly, his eyes lifting slowly to meet the Brit's.

"You-" Arthur took a small breath and smiled softly. "Is this about...you?"

"It's about us." Alfred gave a little smile. "I changed the names, of course! But...yeah."

"Oh, Alfred..." Arthur sighed softly, his smile growing, and he reached out a hand to stroke the other's hair.

"What?" Alfred leaned into him, a hand moving up to settle over Arthur's.

"Heh. I can't wait to read it."

"Read it now!" Alfred picked one of the books up and thrust it into Arthur's arms.

"Ah-" Chuckling, Arthur caught the book and brushed over the cover. "All right. It's lovely, Alfred," he murmured.

"You really think so?" Alfred grinned brightly.

"It is," Arthur said with a smile, then he looked up at Alfred. "...Do you want to read it to me?"

"Y-You really want me to read it to you?" Alfred's cheeks pinked happily, and he patted his lap.

Coming forwards and happily taking the offered seat on Alfred's lap, Arthur's grin widened. "Of course I do. It's your book, after all."

"Okay." Alfred gently took the book from him and wrapped his arms snugly around Arthur's waist. "I hope you like it and I make you proud with it."

"Mm, I'm sure you will," Arthur murmured happily.

Taking a deep breath, Alfred opened the cover. He pressed a kiss to Arthur's shoulder and started reading. "Once upon a time, there was a mermaid, swimming alone though the great ocean..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this story. Thank you for everyone who read and commented! I'm sure you all were expecting something bad to happen to Alfred, but not this story. There are enough of those out there, no? I'm also really happy that you guys liked it so much~ And now some final comments about the future of these two:
> 
> I especially like the end and ending it that way because Alfred is, in short, ensuring his safety in the future. His books (all published under Alfred F. Jones) and his foundation are all very popular and well received. And since he is a mermaid, of course if he were to be discovered there would be people who would want to take him and use him for experiments and research. But do you really think that people would stand having a beloved children's book writer and someone with such a good foundation getting taken away to be experimented on? Alfred wasn't really thinking of this, but he has pretty much guaranteed his own safety. And as to whether people eventually discover what he truly is, well: maybe, maybe not!
> 
> Once again, thank you all for reading!
> 
> (Note from re-upload: I might take this down again in the future (sorry!) to flesh it out a bit more because I don't think it's quite lived up to its full potential. I am happy with it, I just feel like it could be even more! But that probably won't happen for a few years.)


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